Summary
The aim of the present study was to examine the efficiency of different decontamination-cleaning
protocols on blood-soiled catheters used for interventional cardiology. Electrophysiology
and cardiac ablation disposable devices were contaminated with bacteria-spiked human
blood and underwent four different pre-sterilization protocols, including a chlorine-releasing
agent, a polyphenolic emulsion, and an enzymatic detergent. Treated samples were examined
by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy
to identify and characterize biological and inorganic residuals. The use of chlorine
as a first treatment caused denaturation of serum proteins and adherence of blood
components to the surface of the device, thus hindering the cleaning efficiency of
subsequent treatments with enzymatic detergents. An enzymatic/chlorine protocol was
more efficient, but was considered to be a greater risk to healthcare staff. Polyphenolic-based
treatments had the highest level of efficiency in bioburden removal, but interaction
and adsorption of this class of chemicals onto biopolymers might lead to serious concerns
about toxicity on subsequent reuse. Adequate pre-sterilization cleaning is fundamental
for sterilization success and high-resolution electron microscopy can provide significant
and detailed information about the efficiency of chemicals used for cleaning a blood-soiled
device.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
October 3,
2006
Received:
January 10,
2005
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 The Hospital Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
