Medical device-related infections are deep-seated infections that are complex to treat owing to the emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms. Bacteriophages are non-antibiotic tools that act as either an alternative or complementary option to antibiotics in managing bacterial diseases. The host specificity of bacteriophages restricts their clinical application to specific bacterial infections. This systematic review aims to summarize the application of bacteriophage as an anti-biofilm agent and their efficacy and safety in preventing or controlling device-associated bacterial infections by analyzing research findings from the last 10 years. We conducted a systematic search of four electronic databases to identify articles, and 30 eligible articles were included in this review. During the follow-up period specified in the articles, 93.75% of patients achieved complete microbiological recovery from the target infection and 6.2% experienced a relapse. Therefore, through this systematic review, we emphasize that it is necessary to establish standardized and reproducible methods for coating indwelling devices with bacteriophages, ensuring their long-lasting and effective functionality for the benefit of patients.
Bacteriophage, Indwelling Device, Biofilm, Phage Therapy
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