title: Bacterial contamination of PCA and epidural infusion devices.
abstract: We prospectively audited the bacterial contamination of re-usable analgesia infusion pumps. In a one-month period, 112 samples from the handset and keypads of our analgesia infusion pumps were cultured for bacterial contamination. Forty-five percent of handset swabs and 46% of keypad swabs grew bacteria; the commonest organism being coagulase-negative staphylococcus. An additional cleaning step using 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes was introduced and the contamination rate was re-audited in 100 samples. The contamination rate was reduced to 6% of handset swabs and 4% of keypad swabs. A high initial rate of bacterial contamination of re-usable analgesia infusion pumps was significantly reduced by the implementation of a simple, additional cleaning procedure.
authors.affiliation: Acute Pain Service, Macclesfield Hospital, Macclesfield, Cheshire, UK. mick@ohc.me.uk
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rothwell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barlow
mesh_terms: D015360:Analgesia, Epidural / Q000295:instrumentation*; D016058:Analgesia, Patient-Controlled / Q000295:instrumentation*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000635:transmission; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods; D004866:Equipment Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D017743:Equipment Reuse; D006801:Humans; D007260:Infusion Pumps / Q000382:microbiology*; D008485:Medical Audit; D011446:Prospective Studies