The development of bacterial biofilms on indwelling urethral catheters

The biofilm mode of growth has been implicated in the majority of human bacterial infections. In the urinary tract, notable biofilm-associated infections include prostatitis, chronic cystitis, struvite urolithiasis, and catheter-associated infections. Biofilms protect the causative organisms from ho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:World journal of urology 1999-12, Vol.17 (6), p.345-350
Main Authors: Morris, N S, Stickler, D J, McLean, R J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Bacteria
Bacterial infections
Bacteriology
Biofilms
Biofilms - growth & development
Catheters, Indwelling - microbiology
Humans
Prosthesis-Related Infections - microbiology
Prosthesis-Related Infections - prevention & control
Urethra
Urinary Catheterization - instrumentation
Urinary Tract Infections - etiology
Urinary Tract Infections - prevention & control
Urogenital system
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Summary:The biofilm mode of growth has been implicated in the majority of human bacterial infections. In the urinary tract, notable biofilm-associated infections include prostatitis, chronic cystitis, struvite urolithiasis, and catheter-associated infections. Biofilms protect the causative organisms from host defences and antimicrobial therapy. Biofilm formation has traditionally been considered to result from adhesion and capsule formation by adherent microorganisms. Recent work has shown that a large number of genes are activated during this process, some of which have been associated with twitching motility, quorum sensing, and slow growth. In this paper, we review some of the recent work on biofilm biology and highlight its role in urinary tract infections, particularly those associated with urinary catheters.
ISSN:0724-4983
1433-8726
DOI:10.1007/s003450050159