title: High concentration potassium permanganate eliminates protein and particle contamination of the reusable Classic laryngeal mask airway.
abstract: In this three-stage study, we test the hypothesis that supplementary cleaning with potassium permanganate > or =4 mg.l(-1) eliminates protein and particle contamination from the reusable Classic laryngeal mask airway. The first stage involved supplementary cleaning of 70 1 x 1 cm segments from deliberately contaminated laryngeal mask airways using potassium permanganate at 0, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32 and 64 mg.l(-1) and testing for protein staining. This showed that the lowest concentration required to eliminate protein contamination was 8 mg.l(-1). The second stage involved supplementary cleaning of 50 used laryngeal mask airways with either potassium permanganate 8 mg.l(-1) or saline and testing for protein staining. This showed that protein contamination was lower in the potassium permanganate group (p < 0.00001): all laryngeal mask airways in the control group and none in the potassium permanganate group were contaminated. The third stage involved scanning electron microscopic examination of 1 x 1 cm segments from three laryngeal mask airways used in the control group, three from the potassium permanganate group, plus three brand new laryngeal mask airways. The mean density of > or =1 mum surface particles was lower in the potassium permanganate 8 mg.l(-1) than the control group (21 vs. 121 .cm(-2), p < 0.0001) and was similar to brand new laryngeal mask airways (24 .cm(-2)). We conclude that supplementary cleaning with potassium permanganate 8 mg.l(-1) eliminates protein deposits from reusable laryngeal mask airways and reduces particle contamination to similar levels to brand new laryngeal mask airways.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Cairns Base Hospital, Australia.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Laupu
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Laupau
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brimacombe
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Richards
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Keller
mesh_terms: D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control; D004202:Disinfectants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D017214:Laryngeal Masks / Q000382:microbiology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011196:Potassium Permanganate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D004202:Disinfectants; D011506:Proteins; D011196:Potassium Permanganate