Search

Objective: To evaluate warm air and paper towel drying for removing bacteria from washed hands., Methods: After hands were washed with non-antibacterial soap, they were dried using warm air with and without ultraviolet light, while being rubbed or held stationary, or paper towels. Each method was performed as a randomized trial using 30 hands., Results: Log colony-forming units (CFU) on palms and fingers increased significantly when hands were dried with warm air while being rubbed for 15 seconds (P < .001), and many bacteria remained at 30 seconds without ultraviolet light (P < .001) Holding hands stationary while drying significantly decreased log CFU on palms, fingers, and fingertips (P < .01 or < .001). Few CFU were detected on palms and fingers dried with ultraviolet light. Although log CFU of palms and fingers did not decrease after drying with three sheets of paper towel, those of fingertips decreased significantly (P < .001). For palms and fingers, log reductions were greater with warm air drying while holding hands stationary, paper towels, and warm air drying while rubbing hands. For fingertips, the log reduction was often greater with paper towels than with warm air., Conclusions: Holding hands stationary and not rubbing them was desirable for removing bacteria. Ultraviolet light reinforced the removal of bacteria during warm air drying. Paper towels were useful for removing bacteria from fingertips but not palms and fingers.

Objectives: To develop a microbial test method to ascertain the passage of airborne bacteria through the medical device packaging system after sterilization, and to apply this test method to flexible packages under mechanical pressure changes., Methods: Petri dishes filled with nutrient agar were integrated into the packaging unit prior to sterilization. We examined paper packaging consisting of 1 (single-paper packaging [P]), 2 (double-paper packaging [PP] and textile and paper double packaging [TP]), and 3 (double packaging with transport packaging [TPP]) layers. After sterilization, the test packages were pressed five times per minute for 1 or 3 hours by a mechanical device weighing 1 kg. This exposure took place in rooms with an average airborne bacterial count of 35 (room 1) or 440 (room 2) CFU/m3. The packaging was opened following culture at 37 degrees C for 48 hours to determine the number of colonies formed., Results: The proportion of contaminated packages rose with the duration of mechanical stress and increased airborne bacteria concentration. Thus, mechanical pressure change for 3 hours resulted in the contamination of 60% (P), 15% (PP), 0% (TP), and 0% (TPP) of the packages in room 1, whereas 100% (P), 65% (PP), 73% (TP), and 0% (TPP) of the packages in room 2 were contaminated., Conclusions: This test method allows sterile packaging systems to be tested for contamination under practical conditions without extensive laboratory preparation. Contamination as a result of laboratory errors can be ruled out almost certainly.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of the AbTox Plazlyte Sterilization System against selected microbial species using inoculated carriers and surgical instruments., Setting: The microbiology laboratory of a 700-bed adult tertiary-care hospital., Design: The study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, microorganisms were inoculated to various metal, paper, plastic, and glass carriers, as well as surgical equipment, and processed in cycle II of the AbTox sterilizer. Phase 2 compared AbTox cycle III with ethylene oxide sterilization using stainless steel washers, penicylinders, and surgical equipment. In both phases, cultures of equipment and carriers were obtained after processing. The phenotypic profiles and antibiograms of positive cultures were compared to the original inoculate to rule out the possibility of contamination., Results: Of a total of 350 paper carriers, 375 metal washers, and 234 pieces of equipment processed in cycle II and using trypticase soy broth as the inoculating medium, 123 metal washers (32%) and 8 instruments (3%) failed to be sterilized. Similar failures were noted with cycle III. The presence of either salt or protein adversely affected the system's ability to sterilize in either cycle., Conclusion: Further studies are needed to evaluate the extent to which salt or organic material compromise low-temperature gas-plasma sterilization. Meanwhile, users should exercise caution and use care in the cleaning of instruments that will be processed in the plasma-based sterilization technologies.