Infections are a serious complication of external ventricular drainage. Infections cannot be avoided even with the best surgical technique and aseptic handling measures.
Catheters impregnated with antibiotics (Rifampicin and Minocyclin or Rifampicin and Clyndamycin) reduce the frequency of positive CSF cultures.
Prophylactic use of antibiotics carries the risk of infection with antibiotic resistant organisms including opportunistic infections e.g. Candida.
The antimicrobial properties of silver has been known for centuries and has been used in central venous catheters for some time.
Silverline catheters are made of polyurethane and are impregnated with 2% nanoparticles of silver and an insoluble silver salt. Because of nanometer size of the particles, the specific surface area is large which results in the release of ions in antiseptic concentration on the surface of the catheter.
The combination of the fast acting silver salts and slow acting metallic silver results in optimal short and long term effects.
The silver salts release the ions on contact with body fluid, but release of silver ions from the metallic silver does not start until some hours later.
Silver inactivates the enzyme systems with SH-groups of the cell wall that are active in transmembraneous energy metabolism. Silver ions block the breathing chain of bacteria.
In-vitro studies have shown that Silverline catheters have antimicrobial effects on:
Staph. Aureus
Staph. Epidermidis
Methicillin-resitant Staphylococcus
E. Coli
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Candida albicans
Candida glabrata
There is a broad spectrum of efficacy and the two fases of release of the antiseptic agent make the product efficient and long lasting and there is no danger of microbial resistance.
