Ist eine Schnelldesinfektion von mobilen elektronischen Geräten ohne Schäden möglich?

Abstract

Background: Disinfection of near-patient surfaces is a fundamental requirement for breaking the chain of infection. Particularly portable electronic devices that are frequently touched by nursing and medical staff in the patient's environment are often not disinfected due to their sensitive materials. In view of the fact that devices Benzalfor data collection and communication are increasingly used at the patient's bed, it was necessary to find a solution here. It was therefore investigated whether it is possible to rapidly disinfect very sensitive surfaces in a gentle way. Method: In a model trial, the material compatibility of Product A (alcohol content of 30.0 %), Product B (alcohol content of 30.0 %) and Product C (alcohol content of 74.7 %) was determined and compared. The trials comprised both immersion testing and the evaluation of environmental stress cracking (ESC) by bent strip testing. Bent strip testing was conducted with very short contact times of 3, 5, 10 and 15 minutes. In addition, alternating tests consisting of a series of tests of 5 x 5 minutes exposure to the disinfectants with 5-minute breaks between the contact phases (total contact time of 25 minutes) were carried out. Two separate practical trials were conducted to assess the material compatibility of Product A with sensitive surfaces of mobile phones, smartphones, flat screens, touch screens, computers and keyboards over a time period of up to 6 months. Results: The product with the high alcohol content proved to be not suitable for sensitive plastics and induced stress cracks. The other two low-alcohol products showed crucial differences in material compatibility after a short time only. Practical application confirmed the good material compatibility with sensitive surfaces of Product A. Conclusion: Alcohol-sensitive surfaces such as smartphones, touch screens, displays, flat screens, mobile phones and other mobile electronic equipment can be rapidly yet gently disinfected with a suitable product based on a well-balanced low-alcohol formulation.