• Steven L Percival, Peter Kite, Kerrie Eastwood, Ricardo Murga, Janice Carr, Matthew J Arduino, and Rodney M Donlan.
• Department of Microbiology, Leeds Teaching Hospitals, Leeds, United Kingdom.
• Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2005 Jun 1; 26 (6): 515-9.

BackgroundCentral venous catheter (CVC)-related bloodstream infections (BSIs) are known to increase rates of morbidity and mortality in both inpatients and outpatients, including hematology-oncology patients and those undergoing hemodialysis or home infusion therapy. Biofilm-associated organisms on the lumens of these catheters have reduced susceptibility to antimicrobial chemotherapy. This study tested the efficacy of tetrasodium EDTA as a catheter lock solution on biofilms of several clinically relevant microorganisms.MethodsBiofilms of Staphylococcus epidermidis, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Candida albicans were grown to levels of approximately 1 x 10(5) colony-forming units (CFU)/cm(-1) on CVC segments in a model system, then subjected to the tetrasodium EDTA lock treatment.ResultsComparisons of biofilms before and after exposure to the 40-mg/mL(-1) tetrasodium EDTA lock for 21 hours showed that the biofilm viable cell counts of all organisms tested were significantly reduced (P < .05) after exposure to the treatment.ConclusionAntimicrobial lock treatment using 40 mg/mL(-1) of tetrasodium EDTA for at least 21 hours could significantly reduce or potentially eradicate CVC-associated biofilms of clinically relevant microorganisms.

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