Microbial contamination of brushes used for preoperative shaving.
Microbial contamination of brushes used for preoperative shaving was investigated. Of the 24 brushed examined, 18 were contaminated with 10(6)-10(9) colony forming units (cfu) per brush. Non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Xanthomonas maltophilia, and yeast-like fungi such as Candida parapsilosis were the primary contaminants. The mean bacterial count on the skin after the use of contaminated brushes (having a mean bacterial count 2.2 x 10(8) cfu) in 14 subjects was 4.6 x 10(5) cfu 25 cm-2, which was about 100 times (p less than 0.001) the control level. Contaminated brushes could not be disinfected with 80% ethyl alcohol, 0.1% sodium hypochlorite or 0.5% chlorhexidine. These findings suggest that the use of brushes should be avoided for preoperative shaving with a razor, and that sterile gauze and shaving foam should be used instead of a brush and soap.
Department of Pharmacy, Yamaguchi University Hospital, Ube, Japan.
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Oie
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Kamiya
D002175:Candida / Q000302:isolation & purification; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D014974:Xanthomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification