title: The risk of cross-infection when marking surgical patients prior to surgery - review of two types of marking pens.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Two types of marker pens were compared to find whether they produced different risks of infection transmission over different time intervals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four patients were marked according to the type of surgery: each had a set of new dry white-board marker (DWM) and a permanent marker (PM) pen. Once used, their tips were used to inoculate blood agar plates at different time intervals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 0 min, 96% of the DWM pens and 29% of the PM pens were positive of growth. At 3 and 10 min, all of the DWM pens remained positive. The rate dropped to 16.67% in 3 min down to none at 10 min for the PM pens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  DWM pens carry a significant risk of transmitting infection between patients. It is recommended that they are not used in marking. PM pens should not be used between patients in less than a 10-min interval.
authors: Department of Orthopaedics, Leighton Hospital, Crewe, Cheshire, UK. dr_moez@yahoo.co.uk
authors: M S G
authors: MS
authors: Ballal
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Shah
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Ballal
authors: M
authors: M
authors: O'Donoghue
authors: D J
authors: DJ
authors: Pegg
mesh_terms: D000438:Alcohols / Q000032:analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000635:transmission*; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006801:Humans; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000635:transmission; D013525:Surgical Instruments
chemical_list: D000438:Alcohols