A 24-Year-Old Man Hospitalized in a Coma for 2 Weeks

Multiple Choice

A 24-year-old man hospitalized in a coma for 2 weeks now has developed erythema around his catheter. You order the catheter to be pulled, the tip cultured, and a new line to be started on the opposite side of the body. The report comes back that it is Staphylococcus epidermidis, which does not surprise you, as it is noted for the production of a loose network of polysaccharide sticking to catheters. What is this layer on the cell called?

A) Peptidoglycan
B) Pili
C) Teichoic acids
D) Biofilm
E) Glycocalyx