Poster Presentations
Files
Download PDF of poster (2.1 MB)
Description
Burn injury patients wear supportive orthoses made by heat-forming sheets of thermoplastic material (Figs. 1 & 2). Bacteria cause severe soft tissue infections in patients wearing contaminated orthoses. Thermoplastic medical devices can develop biofilms that include antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria, which significantly reduces the number of available treatment options. A biofilm is a community of microorganisms that share resources allowing them to exist in a nutrient-limited environment. Biofilm microbes secrete extracellular polymeric substance (EPS) that attaches them firmly to a substrate surface while protecting them from harmful substances, including antibiotics. Bacteria living within biofilms on inanimate surfaces can survive for extended periods of time. Will the solution type affect the recovery of 2 different antibiotic-resistant (AR) bacteria from the surface of thermoplastic materials?
Publication Date
5-2026
Disciplines
Bacteria | Bacterial Infections and Mycoses | Critical Care | Investigative Techniques | Orthotics and Prosthetics | Other Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Rehabilitation and Therapy | Preventive Medicine | Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases | Wounds and Injuries
Recommended Citation
Mehta, Dev V., "Adhesion of Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria to Thermoplastic Materials Used In Fabricating Medical Devices: Patient Consequences" (2026). Poster Presentations. 62.
https://jagworks.southalabama.edu/honors_college_posters/62
Included in
Bacteria Commons, Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons, Critical Care Commons, Investigative Techniques Commons, Orthotics and Prosthetics Commons, Other Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Other Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons, Preventive Medicine Commons, Skin and Connective Tissue Diseases Commons, Wounds and Injuries Commons