Abstract
Antimicrobial biocompatible polymers form a group of highly desirable materials in medicinal technology that exhibit interesting thermal and mechanical properties, and high chemical resistance. There are numerous types of polymers with antimicrobial activity or antimicrobial properties conferred through their proper modification. In this review, we focus on the second type of polymers, especially those whose antimicrobial activity is conferred by nanotechnology. Nanotechnology processing is a developing area that exploits the antibacterial effects of broad-scale compounds, both organic and inorganic, to form value-added medical devices. This work gives an overview of nanostructured antimicrobial agents, especially silver ones, used together with biocompatible polymers as effective antimicrobial composites in healthcare. The bactericidal properties of non-conventional antimicrobial agents are compared with those of conventional ones and the advantages and disadvantages are discussed.
Highlights
In recent decades, biocompatible polymers have become wide-spread materials in medicinal technology
Panzner et al [37] investigated N-heterocyclic carbine–silver complexes as a potentially new effective antimicrobial agent against skin and soft tissue, respiratory, wound, blood and nosocomial infections. They were synthesized and tested against the group of biosafety level 3 bacteria Burkholderia pseudomallei, Burkholderia mallei, Bacillus anthracis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Yersinia pestis to establish their antimicrobial efficacy against virulent and antibiotic-resistant bacteria associated with cystic fibrosis lung infections
Over the past few decades, the use of polymeric medical devices in healthcare applications has been extended considerably. Their long-term applications were often associated with biofilm formation, which leads to the development of nosocomial infections
Summary
Biocompatible polymers have become wide-spread materials in medicinal technology. Of greatest concern are methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Gram-negative bacilli Due to these disadvantages of conventional antibiotics, new methods of prevention are being researched [5,6]. One effective way to prevent nosocomial infections is by using antimicrobial-biocompatible polymers instead of common ones. This is a gentle, safe and non-conventional method to prevent biofilm formation. The second group are antimicrobial-treated polymers with added organic and/or inorganic antimicrobial agents These antimicrobial agents might be (i) incorporated throughout the volume of polymeric matrix; or (ii) form coatings on the polymeric surface. Possible types of highly effective nanostructures and techniques for their preparation are described, and the advantages and disadvantages in comparison with conventional antibiotics are investigated
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