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Multicenter Study
. 2017;50(3):158-164.
doi: 10.3961/jpmph.17.013.

Bacterial Contamination and Disinfection Status of Laryngoscopes Stored in Emergency Crash Carts

Jae Hyung Choi  1 , Young Soon Cho  1 , Jung Won Lee  1 , Hee Bong Shin  1 , In Kyung Lee  1
Affiliations
Multicenter Study

Bacterial Contamination and Disinfection Status of Laryngoscopes Stored in Emergency Crash Carts

Jae Hyung Choi et al. J Prev Med Public Health. 2017.

Abstract

Objectives: To identify bacterial contamination rates of laryngoscope blades and handles stored in emergency crash carts by hospital and area according to the frequency of intubation attempts.

Methods: One hundred forty-eight handles and 71 blades deemed ready for patient use from two tertiary hospitals were sampled with sterile swabs using a standardized rolling technique. Samples were considered negative (not contaminated) if no colonies were present on the blood agar plate after an 18-hour incubation period. Samples were stratified by hospital and according to the frequency of intubation attempts (10 attempts per year) using the χ2-test and Fisher exact test.

Results: One or more species of bacteria were isolated from 4 (5.6%) handle tops, 20 (28.2%) handles with knurled surfaces, and 27 (18.2%) blades. No significant differences were found in microbial contamination levels on the handle tops and blades between the two hospitals and two areas according to the frequency of intubation attempts. However, significant differences were found between the two hospitals and two areas in the level of microbial contamination on the handles with knurled surfaces (p<0.05).

Conclusions: Protocols and policies must be reviewed to standardize procedures to clean and disinfect laryngoscope blades and handles; handles should be re-designed to eliminate points of contact with the blade; and single-use, one-piece laryngoscopes should be introduced.

Keywords: Disinfection; Equipment contamination; Hospitals; South Korea; Laryngoscopes.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflicts of interest associated with the material presented in this paper.

Figures

Figure. 1.
Figure. 1.
Photograph showing that the tip of the blade contacts an area on the knurled surface of the handle (arrow) when in the off position.
Figure. 2.
Figure. 2.
Photograph showing the three sampling sites (AC) on each of the ready-for-patient-use laryngoscopes (148 handles and 71 blades).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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