POLY 77 |
| Long term indwelling bladder catheterisation is an established bladder management technique having disadvantages for catherised individuals, nursing staff and clinicians. It is commonplace amongst the elderly incontinent and those with spinal and other long term injuries and conditions. It generates heavy financial, social and nursing stresses and clearly demographic trends indicate that these problems will increase. Despite representing a major medical, social and financial problem it remains, by and large, a Cinderella topic in research. The speaker will review some of the current procedures and their materials science requirements, discuss the associated problems, including materials and designs, then describe recent results pointing to possible improvements and solutions to current problems. The main themes will include comparison of normal and catheterised bladder function, the bacterial swarming hazard, design problems leading to inadequate drainage together with approaches to possible solutions to these problems including, inter alia, manipulation of polymer surface chemistry and topology to inhibit bacterial fouling. |
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Polymer Science of Everyday Things
1:25 PM-5:00 PM, Sunday, August 19, 2007 Westin Boston Waterfront -- Otis, Oral
Division of Polymer Chemistry |