Final answer:
Plaque biofilm at nonresponsive sites refers to microbial communities that are difficult to treat due to their resistance to antibiotics. These biofilms are responsible for a range of infections and colonize medical devices, contributing to many hospital-acquired infections. New treatments are being researched as conventional antibiotics often fail against them.
Step-by-step explanation:
When addressing the concept of plaque biofilm found at nonresponsive sites, we are discussing a biological phenomenon related to microbial communities that can lead to a variety of infections. Biofilms can cause significant health issues like infections in patients with cystic fibrosis, and otitis media, and are notoriously difficult to treat due to their resistance to antibiotics.
These microbial communities attach themselves to surfaces and are embedded within a protective extracellular matrix, which can resist significant concentrations of antibiotics - up to 1000 times what would typically kill planktonic bacteria. Biofilms contribute to the stubbornness of dental plaque, colonize medical devices such as catheters and prostheses, and are implicated in hospital-acquired infections. With standard antibiotics proving ineffective in many cases, research is focusing on new methods for managing and eradicating biofilms.