title: Electrically conductive catheter inhibits bacterial colonization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To design, prototype, and assess a custom vascular access catheter for its ability to inhibit bacterial colonization in vitro and to optimize electric parameters for efficacy and safe translation.
  
  
  METHODS
  A vascular access catheter with conductive elements was designed and custom fabricated with two electrodes at the tip, separated by a nonconductive segment. The catheter was colonized with Staphylococcus aureus and incubated at predetermined current levels (4-8 µA) and durations (4-24 h). Catheters were compared using bacterial counts and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bacteria colony-forming units were reduced significantly (P < .05) by > 90% (91.7%-100%) in all uninterrupted treatment arms that included electric current (4 µA or 8 µA) of at least 8 hours' duration. Qualitative analysis using SEM revealed that the treated catheter exposed to electric current had markedly less bacteria compared with the untreated catheter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This catheter with conductive elements inhibits bacterial colonization in vitro when very small electric current (4-8 µA) is applied across the tip for 8-24 hours. In vivo validation is requisite to future translation to the clinical setting.
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182.
authors.forename: Hayet
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Amalou
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182.
authors.forename: Ayele H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Negussie
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182.
authors.forename: Ashish
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ranjan
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182.
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chow
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: VitalDyne, Inc, Cokato, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kroeger
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182; Radiological Associates, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Ziv
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Neeman
authors.affiliation: Critical Care Medicine Department, Clinical Center, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182.
authors.forename: Naomi P
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.affiliation: Center for Interventional Oncology, Clinical Center and National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Building 10, MSC 1182, Bethesda, MD 20892-1182. Electronic address: bwood@nih.gov.
authors.forename: Bradford J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Wood
mesh_terms: D055499:Catheter-Related Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000528:radiation effects; D062905:Central Venous Catheters / Q000382:microbiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004867:Equipment Design; D019544:Equipment Failure Analysis; D006801:Humans; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000528:radiation effects; D013242:Sterilization / Q000295:instrumentation*
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