Evaluation of the effectiveness of manual and automated dialyzers reprocessing after multiple reuses.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of manual and automated dialyzer reprocessing. Dialyzers were filled with fluid thioglycollate medium from blood and dialysate chambers after being reprocessed and chemically sterilized with 0.2% peracetic acid. They were incubated for 14 days at 35°C ± 2°C, and microbiologic analysis was performed. Microorganisms were identified in 3 of the 11 samples (27.3%) from the blood chambers: Sphingomonas paucimobilis (2/3) and Penicillium spp (1/3) and in 11 of the 11 samples (100%) from the dialysate chambers: S paucimobilis (7/11), Stenotrophomonas maltophilia (4/11), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (3/11), Candida spp (1/11), and Acinetobacter baumannii (1/11). Of the 4 manually reprocessed dialyzers, gram-positive bacillus were identified in 1 sample (25%) from the blood chamber, and Bacillus spp and Burkholderia spp were identified in 1 sample (25%) from the dialysate chamber. The dialyzers reprocessing can pose risks safety because of exposure patient to microorganisms.

Different application volumes of ethyl-cyanoacrylate tissue adhesive can change its antibacterial effects against ocular pathogens in vitro.

PURPOSE: To analyze the antibacterial effects in vitro of ethyl-cyanoacrylate (EC) tissue adhesive in different application volumes. METHODS: Volumes of 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 25, and 35 mu l of EC were applied onto the surface of monolayer cultures of Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25924), Streptococcus pneumoniae (ATCC49619), Escherichia coli (ATCC25922), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC27853), and Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC13883). The diameter of each EC drop was measured, and the area of the circle of EC (formed after its application onto the monolayer culture) was calculated. The area of the antibacterial inhibitory halo surrounding the drop of EC on the monolayer culture was calculated. The ratio between the area of the EC and of the corresponding inhibitory halo was obtained for each EC volume and for each of the 5 types of bacteria studied. RESULTS: EC volume-dependent inhibitory halos were seen in Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli, but not in Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Klebsiella pneumoniae. CONCLUSION: The in vitro antibacterial effect of EC against Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Escherichia coli varies in a dose-dependent fashion with its volume. No effect was observed against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae.