Lani...biofilms and ports?

[fauxgypsy]

Lani, have you read much about biofilms and ports? This makes me wonder about the wisdom of keeping my port in.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/414405_4

[das]

Geez. as if we needed another issue to worry about!!!

[Lani]

biofilms are a real problem in general

Hadn't read specifically about them and ports, but it makes sense

I have noted a general decrease in precautions taken in medical institutions in general eg. gauze square used to be individually wrapped and kept sterile until used, now kept in bulk out in open and used "as if" they were sterile, etc.

Also nurses wearing gloves (for their own protection) act as if the gloves were sterile when they were not ie, from an open box, not individually wrapped or meant to be sterile. They wipe with alcohol and then use the fingers in the gloves to feel where they are aiming, as if the gloves were sterile, but they are not.

It makes sense, therefore, to me that they are finding more and more bacterial biofilms around ports. Unfortunately, some of the things they suggest to help the problem will kill the bacteria which are easiest to kill and leave the difficult ones to eradicate unopposed by competition ie, using topical antibiotic ointment.

I don't know how many infection problems there are with ports--to look it up, google entrez pubmed and put port infections or port biofilms into the search box and voila! everything written about the topics in the national library of medicine.

Infections are usually reported by institutions rather than private clinics, so it may be hard to come up with real numbers, but let us know what you find!

[Ellie F]

Lani
Couldn't agree more. I flush my own port as taught using an aseptic technique which I keep to strictly.However when I go to the centre they use non sterile gloves from a rack ,swabs from an open packet and wipe the tray with an alcohol swab!!
Then they tell me it's risky doing my own flush!

Ellie

[fauxgypsy]

UT where I go is very good about aseptic technique (sterile everything) but not so in other places. From what I read, all ports have biofilms, just wondering about possible problems from them. For example, when they are flushed does that reintroduce those bacteria into bloodstream, etc.

[swimangel72]

No wonder my port got infected so quickly after it was installed - I have a large scar as my "badge of courage" - and my onc's nurse insisted that it was extremely dangerous to infuse Navelbine directly in my veins in my arm - but she ended up having no choice anyway (my veins survived - but first I switched onc's because I just lost trust and confidence in my original onc mostly due to that nurse practitioner.

[Lani]

faux gypsy--think of biofilm as that gunk on top of old vegetables you forgot in your refrigerator before you left 3 weeks on your trip (I REALLY TRY hard for this NOT to happen, but once every two years or so oversleep when someone is coming to pick me up for the trip to the airport). It is thick and slimy and serves as a happy nourishing home for the bacteria. So flushing can't really break up the film in a meaningful way and just serves to break loose some bacteria sitting on top of it, those not as strongly adherent to it as the rest.

Not a nice thought for those just waking up and having their morning breakfast.
Sorry!

[1rarebird]

These ports have been in use for quite some time, according to what my onc. told me. So I am wondering what are the statistics of bio-film induced complications from the use of a port.

I also recently ask my surgeon how long he has seen ports left in his patients, and were they (the ports) slimy messes when he finally took them out. He told that he has removed ports from a few patients where the devices had been in for over 5 years. He told me the ports and catheters were "not bad" in growth accumulations. He was not concerned about me leaving mine in for a few years if that is what I want to do. Just one honest surgeon's opinion, but he has had significant experience with ports.

bird

[fauxgypsy]

What I am seeing is that there has been little research into the effects of biofilms associated with ports. I am not trying to spread doom or gloom but I do keep having some low grade fevers and am just wondering if there could be a connection.

[Unregistered]

http://journals.lww.com/jpgn/Fulltext/2008/08000/Taurolidine_and_Catheter_related_Bloodstream.11.as px

FYI

[Soccermom]

The above link was from me..couldnt remember my password,duh!
Marcia

[fauxgypsy]

Thanks. I am going to do some more reading on this. It could make for interesting research.