Preventive strategies for medical device-related nosocomial infections

Upon implantation or insertion into patient's body for exerting the intended purpose like salvage of normal functions of vital organs, the medical devices are unfortunately becoming the sites of competition between host cell integration and microbial adhesion. To control microbial colonization and subsequent biofilm formation onto the medical devices, different approaches either to enhance the efficiency of certain antimicrobial agents or to disrupt the basic physiology of the pathogenic microorganisms including novel small molecules and antipathogenic drugs are being explored. In addition, the various lipid-and polymer-based drug delivery carriers are also investigated for applying antibiofilm coating onto the medical devices especially over catheters. This book summarizes the major and/breakthrough inventions disclosed in patent literature as well as in research papers related to the preventive strategies for medical device infections. With this coverage, this book provides a range of strategies available for the medical scientist to develop a medical device with antibiofilm property.