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An Efficacy Evaluation of a Synergized Glutaraldehyde-Phenate Solution in Disinfecting Respiratory Therapy Equipment Contaminated During Patient Use

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Timothy R. Townsend*
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology Unit, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Siok-Bi Wee
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology Unit, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
Beryl Koblin
Affiliation:
Hospital Epidemiology Unit, The Johns Hopkins Hospital and the Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
*
Administration 229, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 North Wolfe Street, Baltimore, MD 21205

Abstract

Reusable, corrugated, expiratory limb ventilator tubing that had been in use for 24 hours, were randomly allocated to one of three groups: no treatment (N=36); detergent wash (N = 83); or a detergent wash followed by a 10 minute immersion in a 1:16 dilution of synergized glutaraldehyde-phenate solution which was reused for 30 days. (Between 10 and 22 tubes were tested in each five day interval during this 30-day period.) Tubes were quantitatively and qualitatively cultured. There were significant differences in both the percent of contaminated tubes (no treatment = 92%, detergent wash = 72%, glutaraldehyde-phenate = 0 to 20%) and numbers of microorganisms per tube (no treatment = 3.2 × 106, detergent wash = 1.3 x 104, glutaraldehyde-phenate = 0 to 182) between groups. There was no apparent decrease in glutaraldehyde-phenate's efficacy throughout the 30-day reuse period, and in the final five days of the reuse period it was completely effective.

Type
Original Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 1982

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