INFERENCE OF ENAMELLING IN BACTERIAL ADHESION TO FALSE NAILS

INTRODUCTION: The use of false nails to improve the appearance of natural nails can represent a risk of infection. This practice can provide a reservoir for various microorganisms, such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Serratia marscescens and Klebsiella pneumoniae, which are commonly associated with the development of healthcare-related infections (HAIs). In many healthcare institutions, the use of artificial nails and nail polish, especially in dark colors, is considered a breach of conduct. Based on this context, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of nail polish on bacterial adhesion to false nails. METHODS: Acrylic false nails were used to carry out adhesion tests. The bacterial species used for the analysis were: Escherichia coli ATCC- 35215, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC-27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC- 25923. Initially, the nail fragments (1x 2 mm) were standardized, and the following colors were applied: Lace, Base, Rebu and some samples were evaluated without nail polish. The nail fragments were then sterilized in tubes containing Brain Heart Infusion (BHI) broth. To check the adhesion capacity, 100 microliters of the bacterial suspension in saline was added to these tubes, equated to 0.5 on the Mac Farland scale. The nail fragments were incubated in a bacteriological oven (37° C/7 days), washed in saline and transferred to tubes with 5ml of saline, shaken in a vortex and 100 microliters of this solution was sown on Nutrient Agar to count the colony-forming units (CFU) after 24 hours of incubation. The experiment was carried out in duplicate and nail fragments were used as a negative control under the same conditions as above, but without bacterial inoculum. RESULTS: Initially, it was observed that all the bacterial strains were able to adhere to the artificial nail fragments. It was noted that the nails with the lowest average CFU counts were those that were enameled in "Rebú" color, with only 10, 19 and 9 CFU for E. coli, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, respectively. In contrast, the nail fragments enameled only with "Base" had a high average colony count for the same bacterial strains mentioned above: 226, 310 and 114 CFU. CONCLUSION: Apparently, adhesion capacity can vary according to bacterial strain and enamel color.