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Ability of cleaning-disinfecting wipes to remove bacteria from medical device surfaces
Elizabeth A Gonzalez1, Poulomi Nandy1, Anne D Lucas1
1Division of Biology, Chemistry, and Material Sciences, Office of Science and Engineering Laboratories, Center for Devices and Radiological Health, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD.
Background:
Nosocomial infections are a serious problem in health care facilities. Bacteria can be transferred from patient to patient via contaminated reusable medical devices and equipment.
Methods:
An anesthesia machine and objects representative of smooth and ridged machine knobs were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus atrophaeus spores, and Clostridium sporogenes spores. The ability of 5 commercially available cleaning-disinfecting wipes to remove bacteria was compared with gauze soaked with water or bleach. Gauze soaked with water was used to determine the optimal wetness for bacteria removal, which was then used to evaluate the efficacy of the wipe ingredients.
Results:
All of the wipes cleaned the device surfaces significantly better than the no wipe control. Some wipes performed equally well as gauze with water, whereas others performed worse. Overall, the wipe containing sodium hypochlorite was the most effective at removing bacteria. When the wipe ingredients were re-evaluated using the determined optimal wipe wetness on gauze, their effectiveness at cleaning S aureus, but not spores, significantly improved.
Conclusion:
Physically removing bacteria from device surfaces with water was often as effective as the cleaning-disinfecting wipes. Of the wipe active ingredients evaluated, sodium hypochlorite was the most effective overall. The wetness of the wipes may also play a role in their effectiveness.
Insights
Cleaning reusable medical equipment with water-soaked gauze effectively removes bacteria, often matching commercial wipes. Sodium hypochlorite wipes showed the best performance for bacterial removal.
Area of Science:
- Healthcare-associated infections
- Microbiology
- Infection control
Background:
- Nosocomial infections pose a significant threat in healthcare settings.
- Contaminated medical devices facilitate patient-to-patient bacterial transmission.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of commercial cleaning-disinfecting wipes against gauze soaked with water or bleach for removing bacteria from medical equipment.
- To determine the optimal wetness for bacterial removal and evaluate individual wipe ingredients.
Main Methods:
- Anesthesia machine and representative knobs were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus atrophaeus spores, and Clostridium sporogenes spores.
- Wipe efficacy was compared to gauze with water or bleach.
- Optimal wetness was determined using water-soaked gauze to test ingredient efficacy.
Main Results:
- All tested wipes demonstrated superior cleaning compared to no treatment.
- Wipe performance varied, with some matching water-soaked gauze and others performing worse.
- Wipes containing sodium hypochlorite were most effective overall.
- Optimized wetness improved ingredient efficacy for S. aureus but not spores.
Conclusions:
- Physical removal of bacteria with water-soaked gauze is frequently as effective as using commercial cleaning-disinfecting wipes.
- Sodium hypochlorite emerged as the most potent active ingredient among those tested.
- Wipe wetness is a critical factor influencing cleaning effectiveness.
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