Methods: Microbial contamination risk of ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate was investigated by culturing adhesive from unopened and used vials to 5 different media and inoculating one colony from each of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Enterococcus feacalis, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Acinetobacter baumannii into unused vials. Antibacterial effect was tested against above-mentioned bacteria by using agar diffusion, agar well diffusion and broth microdilution methods.

Results: No bacterial or fungal growth was found in the cultures of ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate obtained from unopened and used vials. There was also no contamination following direct bacterial inoculation into unused vials. Agar diffusion methods revealed an antibacterial effect of ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate, particularly on gram-positive bacteria. Broth microdilution test demonstrated that ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate was antibacterial against all tested bacterial strains at the concentration of 25 mg/mL. The effect was bactericidal for all of the tested bacterial strains, except E. feacalis. It had bacteriostatic effect again E. feacalis.

Conclusion: Ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate is not contaminated during repeated uses or following direct bacterial inoculation. It was concluded that ethyl 2-cyanoacrylate has an antibacterial effect against bacteria frequently isolated in surgical site infections.