title: High level disinfection of a home care device; to boil or not to boil?
abstract: We developed a percutaneous electrical transducer for home therapy of chronic pain, a device that requires high level disinfection between uses. The utility of boiling water to provide high level disinfection was evaluated by inoculating transducer pads with potential skin pathogens (Staphylococcus aureus, Mycobacterium terrae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans) and subjecting them to full immersion in water boiling at 4200 feet elevation (95 °C). Log10 reductions in colony-forming units (cfu) at 10 min were 7.1, >6.3 and >5.5 for S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and C. albicans, respectively, but only 4.6 for M. terrae. At 15 min the reductions had increased to 7.5, >6.8, >6.6 and >7.5 cfu, respectively.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA. Winthrop@ohsu.edu
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Winthrop
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Homestead
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans / Q000254:growth & development; D002177:Candidiasis / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D059350:Chronic Pain / Q000628:therapy*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006699:Home Care Services; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D009170:Nontuberculous Mycobacteria / Q000254:growth & development; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000254:growth & development; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology; D017192:Skin Diseases, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000254:growth & development; D014159:Transducers / Q000382:microbiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water