microbiology

Optim 1 results in Environmental Surface Cleaning Investigation

Dental Advisor and Dr John Molinari: Environmental Surface Cleaning Investigation Are your surfaces really clean? Dr John Molinari tests alcohol and QUAT surface cleaners, as well as OPTIM 1: One-Step Cleaner & Intermediate Disinfectant.OPTIM 1 was the only disinfectant wipe to successfully clean and remove proteins with a single application. Buy direct from Brian‘s Statim.us … Read moreOptim 1 results in Environmental Surface Cleaning Investigation

Novel Chemical ‘Washes Away’ Alzheimer’s Plaque in Mice

Researchers have found a molecule that breaks down the clumps of protein linked with Alzheimer’s disease. Source: Novel Chemical ‘Washes Away’ Alzheimer’s Plaque in Mice Can this be applied to treat or protect from TSE? Reference http://www.nature.com/ncomms/2015/151208/ncomms9997/full/ncomms9997.html PDF of original journal submission

Bacterial Hand Contamination and Transfer after Use of Contaminated Bulk-Soap-Refillable Dispensers

American Society for Microbiology Bacterial Hand Contamination and Transfer after Use of Contaminated Bulk-Soap-Refillable Dispensers. Another reason not to refill bulk soap or antiseptic dispensers. Because of this is is particularly important to use single dose skin preparation solutions, as bulk dispensers post known problems.

“Didn’t Wash Hands” Alarm

Didn't Wash Hands alarm, Gary Larson — The Far Side

Our friends at the CDC created a helpful website about hand washing, which is worth the time to read through. I particularly appreciate their “Show me the science” section. ;) How to make your own “Didn’t Wash Hands” Alarm | MAKE. Big brother says, “wash your hands” More on Germ theory by How Stuff Works: Related: … Read more“Didn’t Wash Hands” Alarm

FDA Antiseptic sterility report

Sterility of Antiseptic Products:

FDA Investigates, Deliberates on Potential Recommendations

(Infection Control Today, PDF)
FDA investigates Antiseptics Sterility and potential recommendations_Page_01

In light of a number of high-profile recalls of contaminated alcohol prep products in the last several years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is currently weighing whether or not to require sterility of patient skin prep products, specifically items such as alcohol prep pads used for injections, but it is not ruling out other surgical prep products.

On Dec. 12, 2012, the FDA held a hearing to receive expert testimony and public comment on how to address microbial contamination of these patient preoperative skin preparation drug products. It is a step in the ongoing investigational process that the agency is undertaking to determine issues related to sterility impacted by manufacturing processes.

An FDA spokesperson says that the panel members and FDA’s working group have received the submissions from the hearing and have been deliberating. FDA’s working group will be ready to make new recommendations in the coming months. The spokesperson adds that FDA’s working group has been soliciting clinician feedback from the FDA’s federal partners and other public health organizations, and that the agency will be ready to make new recommendations in the coming months.

Currently, patient preoperative skin preparations are not required to be sterile, since bacteria can contaminate these products at the time of manufacture or during product use. But because contaminated patient preoperative skin preparations have been associated with clinical infections and adverse outcomes, the FDA is exploring certain scientific and product-use issues related to patient preoperative skin preparations.

Patient preoperative skin preparations are over-the-counter (OTC) topical antiseptic drug products used to reduce the number of bacteria on the skin prior to medical procedures or injections. Although they are marketed predominantly to healthcare facilities, the use of these products extends beyond the healthcare facility setting.

Processing Devices

Standards are useful, and guidance based on evidence is often even more so.

Scope

This guidance provides recommendations regarding reuse instructions in labeling for reusable medical devices and the validation of the recommended reprocessing process in the instructions. The recommendations are applicable to the three device reprocessing situations below.

Read moreProcessing Devices

Returning explants to patients

Do not buy or sell used body jewelry brnskll dot com

An interesting observation on safety issues raised in returning contaminated items such as jewelry to clients, as voiced by this medical professional’s concerns for their patients. It is evident that infection control measures should be carefully considered when previously worn jewelry or other contaminated personal items are to be returned to a customer.

Please regard the discussion in the comments below

Question

I am an OR nurse and recently started a new job in a prestigious orthopedic hospital. At the request of a surgeon or patient when implants are removed we have been cleaning and flashing them  and returning them to the patient in a plastic bag.

[NOTE: Flashing is an outdated term for sterilizing items unwrapped for immediate use]

Read moreReturning explants to patients

Skin antiseptics for piercing preparation

Thoughts on options for skin cleaning prior to body art procedures.

If a product is not labeled for surgical preparation, it really doesn’t matter how good of a hand and body soap or cleanser it is. It would only be a really strong hand wash product, or possibly aftercare for our purposes.

Choose a product that has claims as a “surgical skin preparation” because “scrub” alone is only the first step as cleaning. A two step “scrub then paint” process is appropriate and advised by CDC.  That involves a solvent or detergent scrub to clean followed by the surgical antiseptic to kill microbes to an irreducible minimum level of contamination.

What does the evidence suggest that we use?

I have replaced this two step product in my procedure with a sterile version by Aplicare or Cardinal Health
  • I’ve been using FDA approved skin prep PVP-I, CHG or alcoholic CHG, or alcohol depending on the area, with a preference for sterile products, and keep looking for other safe, appropriate options.
  • For oral preparation, an antiseptic mouthwash containing CPC or dilute H2O2 and friction.

I’m still looking for a universal surgical preparation agent, and have not found anything on the market that is both proven and FDA approved other than PVP-I, CHG based products and alcohol. I don’t want to recommend anything unless it is tested and labeled for the purpose.

Read moreSkin antiseptics for piercing preparation

Medical Device Regulation: US or EU

Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act In the States, medical devices are regulated by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Then called the Food and Drug Act, it was the first piece of legislation to result from investigative journalism, namely a novel titled “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. Sinclair described the filthy conditions of pre-WWI Chicago stockyards … Read moreMedical Device Regulation: US or EU

Documentary about early microbiology

Here is a delightful video about pioneer of microbiology Van Leeuwenhoek. I had come across a Stop-motion Lego documentary about great microbiologists on Boing Boing, and just found it again in the Brickfilms archive.  Great Microbiologists Watch now ? Brickfilm Archive Directed by Joshua Leasure Released May 18, 2003 Starring Joshua Leasure, Stefan van Zwam, Loïc Desjardins Genre Educational, Comedy Running time 8:43 … Read moreDocumentary about early microbiology

A brief history of sterilization

A Brief History of Sterilization : An educational overview of some of the important historical steps forward in infection control and sterilization

An educational overview of some of the important historical steps forward in infection control and sterilization