Contamination Of Pulse Oximeter and Decontamination Using Commercially Wipes

الملخص

This study investigated the contamination and decontamination of pulse oximeters using wipes saturated with 75% alcohol. The internal surfaces of pulse oximeter probes in intensive care units (ICUs) can serve as overlooked reservoirs for pathogenic microorganisms, potentially contributing to the high rates of hospital-acquired infections. A total of 108 swabs were collected before and after applying the alcohol-saturated wipes on 54 pulse oximetry probes, and the samples were sent to a microbiology laboratory for analysis. Before the application of the wipes, 50 out of the 108 swabs showed bacterial presence, resulting in a contamination rate of 92.6%. The identified bacteria included non-pathogenic Diphtheria (57.4%), Staphylococcus Hemolyticus (24.1%), non-hemolytic Streptococcus (7.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (5.6%), Escherichia coli (1.9%), non-lactose fermenting Gram-negative bacilli (3.7%), and Staphylococcus aureus (3.7%). Following the use of the alcohol wipes, the number of contaminated samples decreased to 36, reflecting a reduction rate of 66.7%. The remaining bacteria included non-pathogenic Diphtheria (44.4%), Staphylococcus Hemolyticus (13.0%), non-hemolytic Streptococcus (7.4%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (3.7%), with Escherichia coli, non-lactose fermenting Gram-negative bacilli, and Staphylococcus aureus eliminated entirely. The results indicate that the commercial wipes effectively reduced certain types of pathogenic bacteria, particularly Staphylococcus aureus, which was completely eradicated after alcohol application. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effectiveness of alcohol against specific bacterial species in isolation.