title: [Activity of antimicrobial agents on bacterial biofilms].
abstract: Bacterial biofilms are very resistant to antimicrobial activity. The concentration of drugs required to achieve bactericidal activity may be several orders of magnitude higher than the sensitivity for planktonic bacteria, since it is very difficult to completely sterilize infected surfaces. Biofilm antimicrobial resistance is a multifactorial process and is mainly related to the structural and physiological characteristics of the biofilms. Various control strategies have been designed to inhibit biofilm formation on medical devices, in most cases with little success. The most important mechanisms of biofilm resistance to antimicrobial agents and their effect on the activity of the main groups of antimicrobials are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, jmrodriguez@us.es
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Martínez
authors.forename: Alvaro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pascual
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000898:Antibiosis / Q000502:physiology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D016667:Bacterial Capsules / Q000502:physiology; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D004058:Diffusion; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D016459:Prosthesis-Related Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D053038:Quorum Sensing / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents