Biofilm-Related Infection: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention

Abstract

Biofilms can cause infections associated with orthopedic devices, endotracheal tubes, intravenous catheters, urinary catheters, and tissue fillers as well as chronic wound infections, and chronic lung infections in cystic fibrosis patients. The diagnosis and treatment of biofilm-related infections are difficult. For diagnosis, there are methods for imaging the biofilm at the site of infection, as well as microbiological methods for identifying the microorganism causing the biofilm infection. In recent years, different therapeutic approaches have been investigated to address difficulties in the diagnosis and treatment of biofilm-related infections, particularly problems such as antibiotic resistance. Together with various antibiotics, it is predicted that antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, antimicrobial lock therapy, and various bioactive molecules/enzymes with antibiofilm activity will become more widely used as therapeutic models in the future. The aim of this paper was to review methods of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of biofilm-related infections.

Keywords

• echinocandins
• chronic wound
• prosthetic joint infections
• “quorum-sensing” inhibitors
• antibiotic-coated implants