[Study of the reproducibility of the sterilization process and proposal of an sterilizer requalification protocol]. / Étude de la reproductibilité du procédé de stérilisation et proposition d'un protocole de requalification des stérilisateurs.

Unlike EN 554, and since the publication of ISO 17665-1 standard, the user of autoclaves may use methods other than those indicated in the guidelines. Outsourcing the requalification of sterilizers by an external service provider and after observing from the previous requalification reports that the thermometric data seemed reproducible, we decided to propose and validate a validation method for the reproducibility of the sterilization process. This is to exempt from the study of the repeatability of the EN 554 standard in future requalifications. Reproducibility was studied with the sensors of the sterilization service and from the production cycles. This study was carried out in three parts. First, we checked whether our sensors were reliable. Then we evaluated the sterilization process fidelity of each sterilizer. Finally, we compared our measurements performed by the service sensors with the measurements performed by the service provider during the requalifications of the previous years. This work leads us to describe a new protocol of requalification of our sterilizers.

[Development and validation of an analytical method to quantify residues of cleaning products able to inactivate prion]. / Développement et validation d'une méthode de dosage des traces de détergents inactivants totaux du prion.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, a novel analytical method to quantify prion inactivating detergent in rinsing waters coming from the washer-disinfector of a hospital sterilization unit has been developed. The final aim was to obtain an easy and functional method in a routine hospital process which does not need the cleaning product manufacturer services. METHODS: An ICP-MS method based on the potassium dosage of the washer-disinfector's rinsing waters was developed. Potassium hydroxide is present on the composition of the three prion inactivating detergent currently on the French market. The detergent used in this study was the Actanios LDI(®) (Anios laboratories). A Passing and Bablok regression compares concentrations measured with this developed method and with the HPLC-UV manufacturer method. RESULTS: According to results obtained, the developed method is easy to use in a routine hospital process. The Passing and Bablok regression showed that there is no statistical difference between the two analytical methods during the second rinsing step. Besides, both methods were linear on the third rinsing step, with a 1.5ppm difference between the concentrations measured for each method. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that the ICP-MS method developed is nonspecific for the detergent, but specific for the potassium element which is present in all prion inactivating detergent currently on the French market. This method should be functional for all the prion inactivating detergent containing potassium, if the sensibility of the method is sufficient when the potassium concentration is very low in the prion inactivating detergent formulation.