Chapter 23, Problem 1SA

What property of Staphylococcus epidermidis helps it to colonize plastic materials used in medical procedures?

Summary Introduction

To review:

The colonization of plastic materials used in medical procedures by Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Introduction:

S. epidermidis is a Gram-negative cocci bacterium that grows in clusters and forms biofilms. It is found on the skin and mucous membrane of most people as normal flora but is an opportunistic pathogen and can cause disease also. It is the most common cause of the health-care associated infections mostly related to wounds and surgeries.

Explanation of Solution

S. epidermidis is not normally virulent as it exists on human skin as normal flora and cannot invade healthy tissues. However, it sometimes causes the abscesses around the stitches after surgery. Due to its property of binding to the fibronectin, a fibrous glycoprotein found in blood, it can colonize the medical devices used in the surgery like indwelling catheters, artificial joints, and stitches. Fibronectin quickly clots the implants in the body and the bacteria bound to the fibronectin thus establish itself and cause infection. After the establishment of infection, the bacteria produce a slime layer or glycocalyx and formation of biofilms occur.

Conclusion

Therefore, it is concluded that because of the property of the S. epidermidis to bind to the fibronectin, it can colonize the medical devices used in the surgery as implants and cause infection.