Impact of biofilms on healthcare settings and management strategies

The formation of biofilms on the surfaces of biomaterials in clinical settings is becoming more of a concern, especially with the rise of multidrug-resistant bacteria. They have contributed to high mortality and a major cost burden on healthcare systems. Obstacles related to biofilms have been complicated with the presence of very resistant bacterial strains to antimicrobial drugs, necessitating the development of alternative pathways to treat biofilm-related infections in addition to traditional antibiotics. So far, inhibitors that combat the formation of biofilms and the development of modified biomaterials for the manufacture of medical devices have been proposed as approaches to prevent biofilm formation in clinical practice settings. The self-produced extracellular polymeric substances that function as a protective shield, inhibiting antimicrobial penetration, are a key component of biofilms. Biofilms’ impact on medical settings, healthcare, and the economy as well as a brief description of stages involved in their development are discussed here. Furthermore, this review elucidates the two primary categories of biofilm management: preventing the formation of biofilms by inhibiting bacterial initial attachment and removing biofilms that have already formed. Preventive antibiofilm methods discussed in this review involve modifying the physical and chemical characteristics of biomaterials. In addition, removing biofilms using efficient physical and biomedical approaches and by interfering with the quorum-sensing system, which is essential for biofilm formation, are covered here. Moreover, several relevant examples of each method indicated for biofilm management are highlighted. Lastly, the ongoing progress in the field of biofilm research may reveal additional strategies for future biofilm management.