Sensitivity of two drug-resistant bacteria to low-temperature air plasma in catheter-associated urinary tract infections under different environments

The high incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections, which are dominated by drugresistant bacteria, has attracted an increasing number of researchers interested in solving this public health problem. The purpose of this study was to explore the killing effect of lowtemperature air plasma (LTAP) on extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli and high level gentamycin resistance enterococci under two simulated environments in vitro. The results showed that the survival rate of these two kinds of bacteria decreased to less than 20% after being treated by LTAP in different environments for 5 min. A comparison of the LTAP treatments showed that the killing efficacy of the two kinds of bacteria in the early stage (0–1 min) was up to 50%. Moreover, the results of transmission electron microscopy, reactive nitrogen species measurement, and a temperature test indicated that the bactericidal effect of the LTAP treatment on the two kinds of bacteria worked through the destruction of the ribosome and other organelles inside the bacteria, rather than the thermal effect, to achieve sterilization.