MINIREVIEW
Prevention and control of biofilm-based medical-device-related infections
Iolanda Francolini,
Gianfranco Donelli,
Iolanda Francolini
Department of Chemistry, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Search for more papers by this authorGianfranco Donelli
Department of Technologies and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
Microbial Biofilm Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
Search for more papers by this authorIolanda Francolini,
Gianfranco Donelli,
Iolanda Francolini
Department of Chemistry, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Rome, Italy
Search for more papers by this authorGianfranco Donelli
Department of Technologies and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
Microbial Biofilm Laboratory, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
Search for more papers by this authorCorrespondence: Gianfranco Donelli, Department of Technologies and Health, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Viale Regina Elena, 299-00161 Rome, Italy. Tel.: +39 06 4990 2228; fax: +39 06 4938 7141; e-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
Editor: John Costerton
Abstract
Biofilms play a pivotal role in healthcare-associated infections, especially those related to the implant of medical devices, such as intravascular catheters, urinary catheters and orthopaedic implants. This paper reviews the most successful approaches for the control and prevention of these infections as well as promising perspectives for the development of novel devices refractory to microbial adhesion, colonization and biofilm formation.
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