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. 2021 Dec 7;7(1):83.
doi: 10.1186/s40981-021-00486-0.

Evaluation of microbial contamination on cuff syringe, cuff pressure gauge, and their surroundings in the operating room

Rieko Oishi  1 , Kiwamu Nakamura  2 , Yoko Yahagi  3 , Kazutaka Ohashi  4 , Yukiko Takano  4 , Rie Harada  2 , Shinju Obara  5 , Satoki Inoue  5 , Keiji Kanemitsu  2 , Masahiro Murakawa  5
Affiliations

Evaluation of microbial contamination on cuff syringe, cuff pressure gauge, and their surroundings in the operating room

Rieko Oishi et al. JA Clin Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Some institutions reuse cuff syringes and do not periodically sterilize cuff pressure gauges. Pathogenic bacterial contamination of such equipment may increase the probability of pathogen transmission to patients during anesthetic procedures. Therefore, microbial contamination on cuff syringes, cuff pressure gauges, and their surroundings was assessed in the operating rooms of a university-affiliated tertiary care hospital in Japan.

Methods: This study was conducted between April and May 2019 in 14 operating suites at a hospital. The following sites in each operating suite were sampled: cuff syringe (inner/outer components), outer components of cuff pressure gauge, cuff syringe and cuff pressure gauge storage drawers, and computer mice. The swabs were directly streaked onto agar plates and incubated. Then, the bacterial species were identified using mass spectrometry.

Results: The highest bacterial isolation was observed in computer mice, followed by the outside of cuff pressure gauges and the drawers of cuff pressure gauges (92.9, 78.6, and 64.3%, respectively). Most of the identified bacteria belonged to the Bacillus species, with colonization rates of 85.7, 57.1, and 57.1% on computer mice, cuff pressure gauges, and cuff pressure gauge storage drawers, respectively. Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was found in 35.7% of the specimens and was more prevalent on computer mice (71.4%), followed by on cuff pressure gauges (64.3%).

Conclusion: Anesthesiologists should be aware of the possible pathogen contamination risk from cuff syringes, cuff pressure gauges, or associated equipment and take appropriate infection control measures to minimize the risk of pathogenic transmission.

Keywords: Anesthesia; Bacterial infections; Equipment contamination; Hospital-acquired infections, HAI; Infections; Operating rooms; Operating rooms, ORs; Syringes.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Equipment-sampling sites. A cuff syringe, B cuff pressure gauge, C drawer where the cuff syringes are stored, D drawer of the anesthesia machine where the cuff pressure gauges are stored
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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