Adhesion of different bacterial strains to low-temperature plasma treated biomedical PVC catheter surfaces

In this study, firstly five different bacteria (i.e. Coagulase positive and negative staphylococcus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) with their different strains were isolated and used. The contact angle, surface free energy, p-xylene adhesion, and zeta potential of these bacteria were in the range of 43-69 deg, 45.4-61.8 erg cm(-2), 2.3-80.3%, and from -650.2 to + 17.5 mV, respectively. Most of the bacteria were negatively charged. Attachment of these bacteria to PVC catheter and its DMAEMA- and AAc-plasma treated forms were investigated. Bacterial attachment to the hydrophobic PVC catheter was high. Both plasma treatments caused significant drops in bacterial attachment in most of the cases. The effects of AAc-plasma treatment was more significant.