Book Description
Biofilms are formed by microorganisms growing on surfaces and comprise a series of microcolonies interspersed with spaces through which fluids and other microorganisms move. In medicine, the primary problems are biofilms associated with implants: infections are increasingly difficult to treat with traditional antibiotics and removal of the implant often becomes essential, frequently leading to higher morbidity and mortality.

This will be the first book dedicated to medical biofilms.
It will cover much recent information on the problems of biofilms, how to detect them and how to control their presence.

Back Cover Copy
Biofilms are a common problem in the medical and dental industries. The increased use of implants such as catheters, prostheses and pacemakers in medical practice leads to complications resulting from biofilm formation. Infections associated with implants and chronic infections of tissues are often difficult to treat with traditional antibiotic therapy and frequently become persistent.
Medical Biofilms provides a comprehensive guide describing the problems that biofilms create. It includes examples, the techniques used to detect biofilms, and how infections involving biofilms are presently controlled and eliminated.

Written by international experts in the field, this book will be essential reading for people in the medical device, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, professionals and students in medicine and dentistry, medical microbiologists and biomaterial scientists.

Contributors.
Preface.

Glossary.

1. Microbial Biofilms in Medicine (J, Jass, S. Surman and J. Walker).

2. Biofilms Associated with Medical Devices and Implants.

Problems of Biofilms Associated with Medical Devices and Implants (R. Donlan).

Pathogenesis and Detection of Biofilm Formation, on Medical Impants (C. von Eiff and G. Peters).

Control of Biofilms Associated With Implanted Medical Devices (P. Gilbert, et al.).

3. Microbial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation on Tissue Surfaces.

Biofilm-related Infections on Tissue Surfaces (S. Wai, Y. Mizunoe and J. Jass).

Interaction of Biofilms with Tissues (M. Olson, H. Ceri and D. Morck).

Control of Microbial Adhesion and Biofilm Formation on Tissue Surfaces (G. Reid, et al.).

4. Dental Plaque and Bacterial Colonization of Dental Materials.

Dental Plaque and Bacterial Colonization (D. Spratt).

Detection of Microorganisms in Dental Plaque (D. Dymock).

Control of Dental Plaque (R. Sammons).

5. Biofilms Past, Present and Future–New Methods and Control Strategies in Medicine (J. Walker, S. Surman and J. Jass).

Index.