A hypochlorite solution for removing bacteria from CPR manikins

To study the effectiveness of a dilute hypochlorite solution in removing bacteria from cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) manikins, cultures from several areas of manikins disinfected with hypochlorite were compared with those from manikins disinfected with another protocol, and bacteria which grew were counted and identified. The use of dilute hypochlorite resulted in significant reduction of bacterial numbers (P less than .0005), without damaging manikin components or provoking unpleasant reaction from trainees. Dilute hypochlorite disinfection of CPR training manikins after each class session might greatly reduce the possibility of transmitting pathogenic bacteria or other microorganisms between participants in resuscitation practice.