The biochemical bonding of cefoxitin to a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene surface.

Cefoxitin was bound to a microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) surface with tridodecylmethylammonium chloride (TDMAC). Bactericidal concentrations of cefoxitin were achieved with very small doses of the antibiotic. Elution of cefoxitin from microporous PTFE occurs by two concurrent first-order processes, each occurring at a different rate constant. Bound cefoxitin inhibits the growth of Staphylococcus aureus in a bioassay. Finally, cefoxitin can be adsorbed to TDMAC-treated microporous PTFE in vivo when the antibiotic is administered locally or intravenously. The application of antibiotic bonding to the prevention of vascular prosthetic infections is discussed.