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Microbial adherence to and disinfection of laryngoscopes used in office practice

A L Abramson1, E Gilberto, V Mullooly

  • 1Department of Otolaryngology and Communicative Disorders, Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New Hyde Park, NY 11042-1433.

The Laryngoscope
|May 1, 1993
PubMed

Insights

Proper disinfection of laryngoscopes is crucial in outpatient settings. A 10-minute rinse with 3.2% glutaraldehyde effectively eliminates microbial contaminants from these medical instruments.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infection Control
  • Medical Device Disinfection

Background:

  • Laryngoscopes are frequently contaminated with microorganisms after patient use in outpatient settings.
  • Gross soil on laryngoscopes can reduce the efficacy of disinfection procedures.
  • Ensuring adequate disinfection is vital to prevent pathogen transmission.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify appropriate disinfection methods for flexible and rigid laryngoscopes in outpatient environments.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of a specific disinfection protocol in eliminating microbial contaminants.

Main Methods:

  • Baseline experiments identified over 100 microbial isolates from used laryngoscopes.
  • A preliminary tap water rinse was employed to remove gross soil.
  • Disinfection was performed using 3.2% glutaraldehyde (Cidexplus) for a 10-minute duration.

Main Results:

  • A brief tap water rinse effectively removed gross organic soil.
  • Disinfection with 3.2% glutaraldehyde for 10 minutes demonstrated complete elimination of microbial contaminants.
  • The study included a wide range of potentially harmful microorganisms.

Conclusions:

  • A 10-minute disinfection with 3.2% glutaraldehyde is an effective method for cleaning laryngoscopes in outpatient settings.
  • This protocol successfully eliminates bacteria, viruses, fungi, and protozoa.
  • Appropriate disinfection is readily achievable and essential for patient safety.

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