Principal investigator: Wan Y. Shih
University: Drexel University
Industry partners: Lenima Field Diagnostics LLC
Five million central venous catheters (CVC) are inserted per year, with 8% leading to CVC-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). CLABSI is one of the most expensive healthcare infections, with yearly burden of more than $2 billion nationwide. CVC-associated infections are caused by bacteria attaching and colonizing on the catheter surface. Reducing CVC-associated infections is important to decrease CLABSI burden. An antimicrobial coating being (1) bactericidal to inhibit bacteria, (2) antifouling to decrease bacteria attachment, and (3) biocompatible to not harm the patient is solely needed to reduce CVC-associated infections. Current antimicrobial coating for CVC is either bactericidal or antifouling but not both. We propose a non-ionic coating of amphiphilic copolymers of polyvinyl acetate/polyvinyl alcohol/polyethylene oxide with a wetting angle below 40°. The amphiphilicity makes it bactericidal without causing resistance. The low wetting angle and non-ionicity makes it antifoul. The hydrophilicity and non-ionicity of polyvinyl alcohol and polyethylene oxide makes it biocompatible.