In vitro adherence of bacteria to sutures in cardiac surgery.

The adherence of bacteria to sutures used in cardiac surgery was studied by in vitro quantitative determination with [3H]-leucine-labeled Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sanguis. The adherence per unit area for staphylococci was least for monofilament polypropylene (Prolene), 3 times higher (p less than 0.05) for braided polyester (Mersiline) and greatest (10 times, p less than 0.005) for braided polyester sutures coated with polybutylate (Ethibond). Mean values for the adherence of streptococci were low for all the sutures. Sutures pretreated with human plasma showed a 12-37% increase in bacterial adherence. The cell surface hydrophobicity, surface charge and the haemagglutinating property of bacteria did not correlate with their adherence property. In view of these observations, it is suggested that: (a) the preferential adherence of staphylococci to intra-cardiac sutures may be one of the explanations for its being the commonest cause of early prosthetic valve endocarditis, (b) there is a need for a careful selection of sutures used in cardiac surgery and (c) the described in vitro assay for bacterial adherence may be used for monitoring the development of better designed sutures and the effect of incorporation of antibiotics in the sutures.