Highlights
- •Clostridium difficile can contaminate soiled hospital equipment.
- •This study tested the DEKO-190 Washer/Disinfector's ability to reduce C. difficile spore contamination of bedpans.
- •Spore counts were reduced most effectively using a long or intensive wash cycle using alkaline detergent.
Abstract
Background
Clostridium difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen causing mild diarrhoea to life-threatening pseudomembranous
colitis, and its spores frequently contaminate hospital environments and equipment.
Washer/Disinfectors (WDs) are commonly used to clean and decontaminate soiled equipment
in health care facilities. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the DEKO-190
WD in removing C. difficile spores from bedpans.
Methods
Plastic carriers were inoculated with suspensions of C. difficile spores in autoclaved (sterile) human faeces. The carriers were then taped to a sterile
plastic bedpan which was subjected to short, long or intensive wash cycles in the
WD using one of two test detergents: Formula A (generic) and Formula B (highly alkaline).
Mean log10 reductions in spores were calculated for each wash cycle.
Results
Mean log10 reductions were 3.21(SEM ± 0.20) and 2.82 (±0.13) for Formula A and B, respectively,
for the short cycle. The mean log10 reductions using the long wash cycle were 3.65 (±0.44) using Formula A and 5.30 (±0.43)
using Formula B, while log10 reductions were 3.37 (±0.58) (Formula A) and 4.64 (±0.47) (Formula B) for the intensive
cycle. Washing with the DEKO-190 significantly reduced spore concentrations on carrier
surfaces on a bedpan. Spore counts were most effectively reduced when carriers were
washed on a long or intensive wash cycle using an alkaline detergent.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: August 03, 2019
Accepted:
July 15,
2019
Received in revised form:
July 11,
2019
Received:
May 17,
2019
Identification
Copyright
© 2019 Australasian College for Infection Prevention and Control. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
