OBJECTIVE: To examine the ability of an antimicrobial agent Ciprofloxacin to diffuse through a Foley catheter retention balloon.
METHODS: The Utraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) Spectophotometer (UV-1700 PharmaSpec) was utilized to detect the diffusion of the analyte (Ciprofloxacin) through end parameters such as peak absorbance and corresponding wavelengths.
RESULTS: On UV-Vis spectophotometer, the control sample of sterile water was analyzed and found to have the lowest peak absorbance value of only 0.003 at a wavelength of 343 nm. The peak absorbance values of subsequent samples, taken from the same environment (sterile water), since submersion of the catheter balloon, on day-3, day-8, day-15 had increasing peak absorbance values on their corresponding wavelengths.
CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the samples of sterile water from the outside environment of the submerged catheter yielded progressively increasing peak absorbance values on the succeeding days of submersion. Thereby, In lieu of this principle, one can infr the diffusion of the analyte throgh the catheter membrane, as reflected by the summary of peak absorbance value.

Ciprofloxacin ; Water ; Immersion ; Anti-infective Agents ; Diffusion ; Membranes ; Urinary Catheters