In vitro quantitative adherence of bacteria to intravascular catheters.

Adapting standard techniques, a simple in vitro system was devised to compare quantitative bacterial adherence to iv catheters of different compositions. Upon brief immersion of catheters in suspensions of Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative staphylococci, and Escherichia coli, organisms adhered to catheter surfaces. After overnight growth in broth, organisms remained adherent and formed colonies, as shown by light and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, quantitative adherence using a blood agar roll technique, expressed as bacteria per square centimeter of catheter surface area per 10(6) colonies per milliliter inoculum, was calculated. Adherence was greater on polyvinylchloride (PVC) catheters (geometric mean 342) than on Teflon catheters (geometric mean 49.6) for coagulase-negative staphylococci (P less than 0.005). Also, the number of coagulase-negative staphylococci adherent to PVC catheters was significantly greater than for E. coli (geometric mean 70.6) at analogous inocula (P less than 0.02). Differences in bacterial adherence to the surface of iv devices may be important in the pathogenesis of catheter-associated infections. This in vitro method could prove useful in testing bacterial adherence properties of newly developed catheter materials, and allow development of catheters less prone to be associated with bacterial adherence and catheter-related infections.