Deadly Central Line-associated bloodstream infections could be prevented with a new e-catheter hub

Deadly Central Line-associated bloodstream infections could be prevented with a new e-catheter hub

Researchers at Washington State University and the Mayo Clinic have developed an electrochemical catheter hub that could one day help prevent deadly central line-associated bloodstream infections (clabsis), which kill thousands of people around the world each year.

Reporting in the magazine,Biotechnology and bioengineeringThe researchers showed that their e-catheter hub showed “significant antimicrobial activity,” knocking down a common type of bacteria responsible for hospital-acquired infections.

Our idea was to produce hypochlorous acid, a common disinfectant, at very low concentration to prevent CLABSI. It eliminated infections. “

Haluk Beyenal, professor at the Gen and Linda Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering and corresponding author on the paper

Central venous catheters, flexible tubes used in many medical procedures to administer fluids or medications, are responsible for about 20 percent of bloodstream infections.

While hospitals often try to prevent the infections with careful protocols and preventive antibiotics, catheters can still be a breeding ground for bacteria, including varieties that are antibiotic-resistant. People who handle catheters can easily introduce pathogens when they are connected or disconnected at their hubs, and the risk of infection increases in patients with prolonged catheterization. Bloodstream infections can become serious, leading to sepsis, which causes thousands of deaths annually and is a leading cause of death in several North American and European countries.

"During Covid-19, clabsi rates increased by more than 50% and clabsis made a significant contribution to the increased mortality. In other words, some of the mortalities were due to clabsi," said Beyenal.

WSU researchers have been working for several years on using electric current to create a continuous disinfectant to prevent and treat infections.

“The main challenge was whether we could make it usable and whether we could control it,” Beyenal said. “We needed to create a low concentration without producing toxicity but eradicating pathogens.”

The researchers used 3D printing to create a catheter hub and then incorporated small, battery-powered wearable electronics that control the electrodes to create an electrochemical reaction. The electrodes are tiny wires made of gold or titanium. When controlled electrical power is added to the electrodes, a reaction occurs, converting salt water in the catheter hub into hypochlorous acid, the bacteria-killing disinfectant.

“When using a catheter-hub system, you must always fill it with a solution that generally contains sodium chloride (salt),” Beyenal said. “We just use the chloride in the sodium chloride.”

Hypochlorous acid is commonly used in cleaning products, including some hand cleaners. It is also naturally produced by white blood cells in healthy people to fight bacteria, fungi and viruses. Instead of an application that could be used with a hand sanitizer, the E-Catheter Hub can continuously generate the sanitizer.

The researchers showed that the e-catheter hub killed a variety of common bacteria that cause blood infections. The gold based electrodes are best for the steady production of hypochlorous acid and continuous killing of bacteria.

“We chose this type of bacteria (for testing) because of its resistance to multiple antibiotics, its widespread presence in central venous catheters, and its ability to persist on hospital surfaces and equipment for extended periods of time,” said Majid al-Qurahi, first author on the paper and a graduate student at the Voiland School.

Researchers will soon test the catheter center in animals and with other types of bacterial infections and at higher levels. They are also studying the maximum concentration of disinfectant they can produce to kill bacteria without causing physical harm.

“The catheter is like a direct gateway to the bloodstream, so we have to make sure everything is safe,” Al-Qurahi said.

The work was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health.

Sources: