医院感染控制中的益生菌和生物表面活性剂

David

Journal of Hospital Infection
Volume 71, Issue 4, April 2009, Pages 301-306

Opinion Probiotic bacteria and biosurfactants for nosocomial infection control: a hypothesis
医院感染控制中的益生菌和生物表面活性剂

M.E. Falagasa, b, c,

                               
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,

                               
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and G.C. Makrisa
aAlfa Institute of Biomedical Sciences (AIBS), Athens, Greece
bDepartment of Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
cDepartment of Medicine, Henry Dunant Hospital, Athens, Greece


Received 18 December 2007;  
accepted 9 December 2008.  
Available online 6 February 2009.


SummaryThe adaptation of strict hygienic practices by healthcare personnel as well as the implementation of appropriate cleaning and disinfection measures form the basis of infection control policies. However, nosocomial infections constitute a considerable problem even in hospitals with meticulous infection control programmes. This should prompt biomedical researchers to evaluate the efficacy and safety of novel infection control measures. There is preliminary evidence that probiotic type micro-organisms may antagonise the growth of nosocomial pathogens on inanimate surfaces. We therefore propose the hypothesis that environmental probiotic organisms may represent a safe and effective intervention for infection control purposes. We suggest that probiotics or their products (biosurfactants), could be applied to patient care equipment, such as tubes or catheters, with the aim of decreasing colonisation of sites by nosocomial pathogens. This could potentially impede a central step in the pathogenesis of nosocomial infections.

Keywords: Biosurfactants; Infection control; Nosocomial infections; Probiotic organisms