An in vitro study of the efficacy of rifampicin and minocycline coated umbilical venous catheters

The use of antibiotic coated catheters has been proposed as a means of reducing catheter related sepsis. In this study, an in vitro comparison of bacterial colonisation rates was made between uncoated umbilical venous catheters and catheters coated with rifampicin and minocycline. The following parameters were determined; the direct antimicrobial effect of coated and uncoated catheter segments against a range of organisms associated with line sepsis, the assessment of the decline in antimicrobial activity in coated catheters immersed in plasma and the inhibitory efficacy of the catheters to colonisation over a 28-day period. Minocycline and rifampicin coated umbilical catheters showed a superior inhibitory effect and prevented colonisation with the commoner line-related organisms, when compared with uncoated catheters. The inhibitory effect declined after 14 days in the human plasma. Resistance to colonisation in vitro may not extend beyond 21 days.