Evaluation of Steam Penetration and Sterilization of Natural Latex Wraps. Issue 8 (11th March 2014) - Rossanese, Matteo
Abstract Objective To evaluate the efficacy of steam and ethylene oxide (EtO) sterilization of Vetrap™ bandages. Study Design Prospective experimental study. Sample Population Vetrap™ bandages (n = 70; 35 as supplied by the manufacturer, 35 unwound and tightly rewound). Methods Vetrap™ bandage rolls (n = 60) marked with a 1 cm square were inoculated with 0.1 mL Geobacillus stearothermophilus 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 Bacillus atrophaeus 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 G. stearothermophilus and 37°C for B. atrophaeus. Aliquots were subsequently plated on a Petri dish of tryptic soy agar and incubated at 60°C for G. stearothermophilus and 37°C for B. atrophaeus for 24 hours. Samples were scored positive if colonies of indicator organism were present on the nutrient agar after 24 hours. Results Three Vetrap™ bandages yielded post‐sterilization growth of G. stearothermophilus: 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. Conclusions Steam sterilization may be incomplete for Vetrap™ bandages whereas EtO showed complete destruction of resistant bacterial spores.