Fatty acid-containing p(HEMA) hydrogels; a promising coating platform to reduce encrustation on urinary catheters

Two significant clinical issues associated with the use of urinary catheters are catheter-associated urinary tract infection and encrustation. This study describes the design of novel hydrogels based on fatty acid-containing p(hydroxyethylmethacrylate, HEMA) and their resistance to both microbial adherence and encrustation. Incorporation of fatty acids increased the contact angle (surface hydrophobicity), decreased the ultimate tensile strength only after storage at pH 9 in artificial urine (AU) but not at lower pH values, decreased the Young’s modulus and % elongation at break (both stored in deionised water, AU pH 6 and AU pH 9) and decreased equilibrium swelling (only when stored in deionised water or AU pH 6 but not AU pH 9). Moderate reductions in adherence of Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis and Staphylococcus epidermidis to certain fatty acid containing (primarily decanoic acid and myristic acid) hydrogels were observed. No relationship was observed between hydrogel contact angle and resistance to microbial attachment. Most fatty acid-containing hydrogels exhibited significant, concentration-dependent resistance to encrustation, postulated to be due both to a greasy film resultant from the formation of the calcium/magnesium fatty acid salts at the surface and the role of Tween® 80 in facilitating the removal of the fatty acid salts from the surface of the hydrogel. The observed enhanced resistance of the hydrogels to encrustation offers opportunities for the use of such systems as platforms for coatings of urinary catheters.