Evaluation of Steam Penetration and Sterilization of Natural Latex Wraps. Issue 8 (11th March 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rossanese, Matteo; Gasson, James; Barker, Colin; Bowlt, Kelly
• Is Part Of: Veterinary surgery. Volume 43:Issue 8(2014)
• Page Start: 1009
• Page End: 1013
• Publication Date: 2014-03-11
• Subjects: Veterinary surgery -- Periodicals; Veterinary Medicine -- Periodicals; Surgery -- Periodicals; Societies, Medical -- Periodicals; 636.0897
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2014.12168.x
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0161-3499

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main"> <title> <x xml:space="preserve">Abstract</x> </title> <sec id="vsu12168-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Objective</title> <p>To evaluate the efficacy of steam and ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization of Vetrap™ bandages.</p> </sec> <sec id="vsu12168-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Study Design</title> <p>Prospective experimental study.</p> </sec> <sec id="vsu12168-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Sample Population</title> <p>Vetrap™ bandages (n = 70; 35 as supplied by the manufacturer, 35 unwound and tightly rewound).</p> </sec> <sec id="vsu12168-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>Vetrap™ bandage rolls (n = 60) marked with a 1 cm square were inoculated with 0.1 mL <italic>Geobacillus stearothermophilus</italic> spores, packaged in a pouch together with independent sterilization indicators and assigned into 3 sub‐groups for sterilizer type: dynamic air removal, gravity displacement, and bench‐top pre‐vacuum and further sub‐divided into 2 sterilization temperatures. Vetrap™ bandages rolls (n = 10) were inoculated with 0.1 mL <italic>Bacillus atrophaeus</italic> spores in the same manner and underwent EtO sterilization. After sterilization, the 1 cm marked square was aseptically resected to the level of the cardboard tube and enriched in a flask containing 10 mL tryptic soy broth for 24 hours at 60°C for <italic>G. stearothermophilus</italic> and 37°C for <italic>B. atrophaeus</italic>. Aliquots were subsequently plated on a Petri dish of tryptic soy agar and incubated at 60°C for <italic>G. stearothermophilus</italic> and 37°C for <italic>B. atrophaeus</italic> for 24 hours. Samples were scored positive if colonies of indicator organism were present on the nutrient agar after 24 hours.</p> </sec> <sec id="vsu12168-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>Three Vetrap™ bandages yielded post‐sterilization growth of <italic>G. stearothermophilus</italic>: 2 from the dynamic air removal sterilizer at 134°C for 3.5 minutes, and 1 from the bench‐top pre‐vacuum sterilizer at 121°C for 15 minutes. After EtO sterilization, no positive samples were detected.</p> </sec> <sec id="vsu12168-sec-0006" sec-type="section"> <title>Conclusions</title> <p>Steam sterilization may be incomplete for Vetrap™ bandages whereas EtO showed complete destruction of resistant bacterial spores.</p> </sec> </abstract>