Analysis of bacterial contamination and the effectiveness of UV light-based reprocessing of everyday medical devices

Background The reprocessing of medical devices used on daily basis is often inadequate, making them a potential source of infection. In addition, there are usually no consistent and technically standardized procedures available for this purpose. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to investigate the bacterial contamination of daily used medical devices and the effectiveness of their UV light-based reprocessing.

Material and Methods 20 each of stethoscopes, tourniquets, bandage scissors, reflex hammers, tuning forks, nystagmus glasses were tested for bacterial contamination. All medical devices were then reprocessed for 25 seconds by UV-C light. Devices with a smooth surface were pre-cleaned with a water-based wipe. Contact samples were taken before and after reprocessing.

Results After clinical use, 104 of 120 contact samples showed an average contamination of 44.8±64.3 colony forming units (CFU) (0 - 300 CFU), including potentially pathogenic germs. Two other samples were completely bacterially overgrown. The stethoscopes showed the highest contamination. After reprocessing, 118 of 120 samples were sterile, resulting in an average residual contamination of 0.02±0.1 CFU in two samples, whereby only bacteria of the skin flora could be detected.

Conclusion This study shows the potentially clinically relevant bacterial contamination of daily used medical devices. Reprocessing by UV-light seems to be a suitable method for disinfection, especially for objects that are difficult to disinfect or cannot be disinfected in a standardized way.

UV-Smart Technologies B.V., Rijswijk, Niederlande

 

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Conflict of Interest

The author declares that there is no conflict of interest.

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
24. Mai 2022