Publication

Abstract : Catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) represent a significant subset of hospital-acquired infections, necessitating the development of effective preventive strategies. In this study, a simple and scalable approach was employed to fabricate long-term stable antibacterial coatings poly(ε-caprolactone)/chlorhexidine (PCL/CHX) on silicone catheters using two distinct techniques: direct coating and mould coating. These methods ensured a uniform PCL/CHX coating thickness across the catheter surface, with homogeneous chlorhexidine (CHX) distribution, as confirmed by Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), without compromising the mechanical integrity of the silicone substrate. The developed PCL/CHX-coated catheters exhibited a dual antibacterial mechanism, combining contact-active and sustained-release properties, imparting prolonged antibacterial and anti-biofilm effects. The optimized coatings PCL/CHX direct coated catheters (S/0.5CC) and PCL/CHX mould coated catheters (S/0.5CM) demonstrated controlled, metronomic CHX release over one month, resulting in an inhibition zone diameter of 1.7 ± 0.2 cm and 1.73 ± 0.3 cm against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli), respectively, under an in vitro biomimetic artificial urine environment. Furthermore, a six-log reduction in biofilm adhesion was observed on S/0.5CC and S/0.5CM-coated catheters compared to uncoated controls after one month of bacterial incubation. The stability assessments confirmed the retention of uniform morphology, surface properties, and mechanical strength of the coatings over one month, while biocompatibility studies indicated the absence of cytotoxic effects. These findings highlight the potential of the optimized PCL/CHX coating as a promising strategy for developing antibacterial urinary catheters, thereby contributing to the reduction of CAUTIs