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Rapid method for the sensitive detection of protein contamination on surgical instruments

Rapid method for the sensitive detection of protein contamination on surgical instruments
Rapid method for the sensitive detection of protein contamination on surgical instruments
Hospital sterile service departments (SSDs) currently rely on simple visual confirmation of cleanliness as an assessment of the efficacy of cleaning surgical instruments. The inherent inability to monitor tow Levels of infectious or proteinaceous contamination on surgical instruments creates the possibility that highly dangerous and robust biological, agents may remain infectious and undetected even after standard cleaning and sterilization procedures have been employed. This paper describes the development of a novel. microscopy technique, episcopic differential. interference contrast microscope, combined with the fluorescent reagent, SYPRO Ruby, to rapidly detect brain tissue protein to below 400 Pg/mm(2) on an instrument surface. This technique has displayed a minimum level of detection observed by 50% of volunteers of 85 pg/mm(2) (95% confidence intervals 67-112 pg/mm(2)). Quantitative assessment of instruments supplied from various SSDs enabled the establishment of a 'contamination index' of both proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous deposits on the surface. This new methodology for the assessment of surface contamination is generally applicable and should facilitate future quantitative surveys of instrument contamination in hospitals and other healthcare environments.
atp bioluminescence, cjd, creutzfeldt-jakob-disease, decontamination, enhancement, episcopic differential, hygiene, microscopy, prions, sterile service departments, surgical instruments, sypro ruby
0195-6701
141-148
Lipscomb, I.P.
bb93c4d9-33b7-4323-9e3c-8922d13994cc
Sihota, A.
ebdd3702-300c-4b38-84ac-f332e6b76fe0
Botham, M.
f1d757f1-1be2-48bb-b5cc-0a4bf0d34e66
Harris, K.L.
88841cb8-498d-45b3-95f4-5c7e1ac97bea
Keevil, C.W.
cb7de0a7-ce33-4cfa-af52-07f99e5650eb
Lipscomb, I.P.
bb93c4d9-33b7-4323-9e3c-8922d13994cc
Sihota, A.
ebdd3702-300c-4b38-84ac-f332e6b76fe0
Botham, M.
f1d757f1-1be2-48bb-b5cc-0a4bf0d34e66
Harris, K.L.
88841cb8-498d-45b3-95f4-5c7e1ac97bea
Keevil, C.W.
cb7de0a7-ce33-4cfa-af52-07f99e5650eb

Lipscomb, I.P., Sihota, A., Botham, M., Harris, K.L. and Keevil, C.W. (2006) Rapid method for the sensitive detection of protein contamination on surgical instruments. Journal of Hospital Infection, 62 (2), 141-148. (doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2005.07.008).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Hospital sterile service departments (SSDs) currently rely on simple visual confirmation of cleanliness as an assessment of the efficacy of cleaning surgical instruments. The inherent inability to monitor tow Levels of infectious or proteinaceous contamination on surgical instruments creates the possibility that highly dangerous and robust biological, agents may remain infectious and undetected even after standard cleaning and sterilization procedures have been employed. This paper describes the development of a novel. microscopy technique, episcopic differential. interference contrast microscope, combined with the fluorescent reagent, SYPRO Ruby, to rapidly detect brain tissue protein to below 400 Pg/mm(2) on an instrument surface. This technique has displayed a minimum level of detection observed by 50% of volunteers of 85 pg/mm(2) (95% confidence intervals 67-112 pg/mm(2)). Quantitative assessment of instruments supplied from various SSDs enabled the establishment of a 'contamination index' of both proteinaceous and non-proteinaceous deposits on the surface. This new methodology for the assessment of surface contamination is generally applicable and should facilitate future quantitative surveys of instrument contamination in hospitals and other healthcare environments.

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More information

Published date: February 2006
Keywords: atp bioluminescence, cjd, creutzfeldt-jakob-disease, decontamination, enhancement, episcopic differential, hygiene, microscopy, prions, sterile service departments, surgical instruments, sypro ruby

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 43271
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/43271
ISSN: 0195-6701
PURE UUID: 8975c119-44fe-49d0-b070-613d8ec4c946
ORCID for C.W. Keevil: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-1917-7706

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 22 Jan 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 03:24

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Contributors

Author: I.P. Lipscomb
Author: A. Sihota
Author: M. Botham
Author: K.L. Harris
Author: C.W. Keevil ORCID iD

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