Peripheral Venous Catheter and Bloodstream Infection Caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa after a Contaminated Preoperative Shower

Abstract

was reduced in the presence of organic load (Figure 1). On patient wards, application of Sterilox HG resulted in significant reductions in total aerobic and facultative bacterial counts (mean CFU, 39 vs 0.73; P = .0003) and in positive C. difficile cultures (8/66 [12%] vs 0/66; P = .006). Spraying of Sterilox HG on sets of equipment was simple and required only approximately 15 seconds per application. Application of Sterilox HG did not result in production of noticeable noxious fumes but was described as producing an odor similar to that of swimming pool water. There were no reported complaints from nursing staff or patients. Our results demonstrate that spraying equipment with an electrochemically activated saline solution is a simple and effective means to reduce contamination with C. difficile and other healthcare-associated pathogens. The potential advantages of this method for equipment disinfection include efficiency , ability to maintain sufficient disinfectant contact time when surfaces were thoroughly sprayed, thorough application of disinfectant on objects with irregular surfaces that might be difficult to reach with a cloth, relatively low risk for skin or respiratory irritation, and ability to perform dis-infection in patient care areas. Potential disadvantages of this method include lack of mechanical removal of pathogens and organic material, dependence on the operator to apply sufficient disinfectant to thoroughly wet the surfaces, and in-feasibility of leaving sprayed surfaces to air dry for 15-30 minutes if equipment is needed for immediate reuse. Our study has some limitations. A small number of strains were tested, and only 1 disinfectant was tested as a comparator to Sterilox HG. We did not perform a complete assessment of materials compatibility and did not determine the effect of different surfaces on effectiveness of Sterilox. Finally, only a 10-minute contact time was used in the complete set of laboratory studies. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS