title: Multiple-use atomizers in outpatient otolaryngology clinics are not necessarily an infectious risk.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We sought to determine the risk of bacterial transmission from multiple-use atomizers in an outpatient otolaryngology clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Atomizers in 6 examination rooms were analyzed for bacterial contamination. Sterility of associated tubing from 1 atomizer was assessed. Multidose drug solutions in the atomizers (phenylephrine and tetracaine) were cultured multiple times over a 2-week period. Serial dilutions of the original sample were cultured to minimize inhibitory effects of antiseptic agents in the drug formulations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No bacteria were recovered from tubing cultures. Only 2 (0.6%) of 336 cultures of the drug solutions yielded bacterial growth. In both cases, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus was recovered in 1 of the dilutions prepared from original samplings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Multiple-use atomizers that contain phenylephrine and tetracaine solutions with bacteriostatic preservatives in an outpatient otolaryngology clinic do not yield significant bacterial growth and, when used as described, do not pose an infectious risk of bacterial transmission between patients.
authors.affiliation: University of California San Francisco School of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, USA.
authors.forename: Ann Marie B
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Visosky
authors.forename: Andrew H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Murr
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: Theresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dentoni
authors.forename: Lucy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Weir
authors.forename: Barbara L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Haller
mesh_terms: D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000209:etiology*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers; D012307:Risk Factors