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High level disinfection of a home care device; to boil or not to boil?

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We developed a percutaneous electrical transducer for home therapy of chronic pain, a device that requires high level disinfection between uses. The utility of boiling water to provide high level disinfection was evaluated by inoculating transducer pads with potential skin pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium terrae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans) and subjecting them to full immersion in water boiling at 4200 feet elevation (95°C). Log 10 reductions in colony-forming units (cfu) at 10min were 7.1, >6.3 and >5.5 for S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans, respectively, but only 4.6 for M. terrae. At 15min the reductions had increased to 7.5, >6.8, >6.6 and >7.5cfu, respectively.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)262-264
Number of pages3
JournalJournal of Hospital Infection
Volume80
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2012

Funding

This work was funded by Meagan Medical, Inc. , Vancouver, WA, USA.

Funders
Meagan Medical, Inc.

    Keywords

    • Boiling
    • High level disinfection
    • Home medical device
    • Percutaneous device
    • Thermal disinfection

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Microbiology (medical)
    • Infectious Diseases

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