Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2026

An Antimicrobial Fabric Using Nano-Herbal Encapsulation of Essential Oils
Published on: April 7, 2023
Resistance of disposable drapes to bacterial penetration
A W Blom1, A Barnett, P Ajitsaria
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom. ashley.blom@nbt.nhs.uk
Purpose:
To test the bacterial penetrability of disposable non-woven drapes used specifically for total hip arthroplasty.
Methods:
12 round agar plates were inoculated with 107 colony-forming units/ml of coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) and incubated in air at 37 degrees Celsius for 18 hours to obtain a semi-confluent growth of organisms. Six brands of disposable drapes were tested; each was assigned to 2 plates. Each disposable drape was placed between a round agar plate and an inverted square agar plate filled with blood agar. After 30 and 90 minutes, the square agar plates were removed and incubated for 48 hours and inspected for growth of CNS.
Results:
Bacterial penetration was time dependant. Certain brands of drapes were more impenetrable than others; none was impenetrable at all time points, but most remained so or allowed passage of fewer than 100 colony-forming units at 90 minutes.
Conclusion:
It is recommended that drapes be rigorously tested with regard to their resistance to bacterial penetration.
Related Concept Videos
Antimicrobial Effectiveness
Surface Membrane Barriers
The outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, is a robust barrier comprising layers of closely packed keratinized cells. This dense arrangement prevents microbes from penetrating the body. The periodic shedding of epidermal cells...
Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
Cleaning, Sterilization, and Disinfection
Cleaning
The cleaning process usually involves using water with detergents or enzymatic cleaner and removing foreign material from objects and surfaces, including organic material such as body fluids or inorganic material like soil. Cleaning is performed before high-level disinfection and sterilization because foreign materials on the cover of the devices interfere with process...
Physical Methods for Controlling Microbial Growth: Radiation and Filtration
PPE Use in Healthcare Settings II: Doffing

