title: Evaluation of the sterilization efficacy of domestic electric drills used in orthopaedic surgeries.
abstract: It is estimated that electric drills (ED) have been used in orthopaedic surgeries for bone drilling for more than 50 years in Brazilian hospitals. It is an electric, thermosensitive equipment, not indicated for surgical use, which has not been previously evaluated regarding the sterilization efficacy, being suspect of infection risk. This study evaluated the efficacy of sterilization by ethylene oxide (EtO) of new drills that were intentionally contaminated with Bacillus atrophaeus spores. An experimental, laboratory, randomized applied research was developed, where 16 electric drills were analyzed, in addition to positive and negative controls. All the previously cleaned and sterilized equipment were submitted to contamination by spores. The experimental group was submitted to cleaning and sterilization by EtO and test of sterility by filtration through a 0.45 >m membrane. The membranes were cultivated and Gram and Wirtz-Conklin staining were carried out in positive results for spore visualization. An efficacy of 99.99999881% of the process of sterilization by EtO was confirmed, with a probability of survival of 1.19 x 10 (-8). Under the development conditions of the experiment, the efficacy of the sterilization of ED by EtO was confirmed.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Universidade de São Paulo , São Paulo, SP , Brasil.
authors.forename: Vania Regina
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Goveia
authors.forename: Flavia Morais Gomes
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Irene Alexeevna
authors.initials: IA
authors.lastname: Machoshvili
authors.forename: Thereza Christina Vessoni
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Penna
authors.forename: Kazuko Uchikawa
authors.initials: KU
authors.lastname: Graziano
keywords: Ethylene oxide; Orthopaedic equipment; Orthopaedic surgery; Sterilization; Surgical wound infection
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