A new research by Brunel University in London reveals that the Pseudomonas Aeruginosa bacterium adheres and easily uses used plastic in medical devices. This increases the risk of hospital infections and complicates the fight against antibiotic-resistance.
Recent research, carried out by the Brunel University of London highlighted how it Pseudomonas aeruginosaone of the most dangerous bacterium due to the ability to resist antibiotics, is able to feed on hospital plastic to use it in its favor. This means that all the plastic materials used for medical devices present in hospital -How catheters, cans, ventilation pipes, spin bags, cannulas, syringes -can become fertile soil for this microorganism, aggravating i risks of hospital infections and complicating the fight against antibiotic-resistance.
Pseudomonas Aeruginosa is a very feared opportunist bacterium for its ability to cause serious respiratory, urinary and systemic infections: it acts above all in the Patients immunosuppressed and hospitalized. It is among the main culprits of the nosocomial infections and for this reason it is always at the top of the list of “Critical pathogens” ofWorld Health Organization for its dangerous resistance to antibiotics. In addition, this bacterium is able to form BIOFILM: these are cellular communities covered with an adhesive matrix. This feature makes them very resistant to disinfectants and pharmacological treatments. Adhesion to surfaces such as plastic further enhances survival and diffusion.
Antibiotic-stay is one of the most serious problems to face in the health sector. The numbers are constantly increasing, and according to data released by the ECDC (European Center for the prevention and control of diseases), in Europe over 4 million hospital infections occur every year, with approximately 37,000 deaths attributable directly to pathogens antibiotic-resistant. Pseudomonas Aeruginosa is among the most frequently isolated in health environments. In Italy, the Higher Institute of Health (ISS) recorded a 12% increase in hospital infections caused by Psuedomonas Aeruginosa in the two -year period 2022-2024. These infections are often linked to contaminated medical devices. The study highlighted how the bacterium is able to use plastic as a “ingredient” to multiply itself and even to make its defenses more effective. In practice, he uses it to protect the biofilm And therefore to raise a protective shield by incorporating it into its own film: easy to understand how this its mechanism of action contributes to making the bacterial colonization stronger and resistant to cleaning and disinfection. The search for London scientists, however, also suggests methods to combat this problem: first of all one is needed rigorous and widespread hospital hygienebut the research must also do its part. It would be essential, in fact, to be able to equip that anti-Microbial substances All the plastic devices that are used in the hospital, just to try to block the proliferation of bacteria so dangerous for health at the base.
