Residual protein contamination of ProSeal laryngeal mask airways after two washing protocols

Area of Science:

• Medical device reprocessing
• Infection control
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Reusable medical devices pose a risk of prion protein cross-infection due to potential protein contamination.
• Effective cleaning protocols are crucial to mitigate the hazards of protein contamination on medical devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of protein contamination on ProSeal laryngeal mask airways (PLMA) after two distinct cleaning procedures.
• To test if combined hand- and machine-washing is more effective than hand-washing alone in removing protein contamination from PLMAs.

Main Methods:

• Fifty-four PLMAs were randomly assigned to either hand-washing or hand-then-machine washing protocols after clinical use.
• All processed PLMAs underwent autoclaving at 134°C for 4 minutes.
• Protein contamination was visualized using erythrosin B staining, with site and severity scored by a blinded observer.

Main Results:

• Protein staining was detected on 89% of hand-washed PLMAs and 78% of hand-then-machine washed PLMAs.
• No significant difference in staining site or severity was observed between the two cleaning methods.
• Staining was predominantly mild (98%) and most frequent on the cuff edge.

Conclusions:

• Residual protein contamination on PLMAs is prevalent, irrespective of whether machine-washing supplements hand-washing prior to autoclaving.
• The current cleaning and sterilization methods do not completely eliminate protein deposits from PLMAs.
• The clinical significance and infection risk associated with these residual protein deposits require further investigation.