Title: Effect of antibiotics on oral respiratory microbes
Abstract:
Innovative medical devices have enhanced health care and improved the overall quality of life. Although providing significant medical benefits, there are unfortunately a myriad of diseases that can be attributed to the presence of medical devices. Microbes can colonize on a medical device surface and cause infections, and at times can even lead to malfunction of the device. Microbial species are present either as planktonic cells or incorporated into biofilms. While different types of medical devices harbor microbes, dental prostheses are some of the most pervasive. The majority of the oral microbes are commensal organisms. Those that are pathogenic microbes can result in oral infections, and at times initiate systemic diseases. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death world-wide. COPD manifests as an inflammatory condition involving the airways, lung parenchyma and pulmonary vasculature. COPD exacerbation correlates with bacterial colonization of the upper and lower airways. Key bacteria implicated in COPD and resident initially in the oral cavity are Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. In this study we focus on characterizing the activity of antibiotics on oral-respiratory microbes both in planktonic form as well as biofilms.
