title: Contact Cryoprobe Sterilization Practices: A Patient Quality and Safety Issue for Dermatologists.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cryotherapy is a commonly employed treatment modality in dermatology. There is literature to suggest that sterilization of the contact cryotherapy probe is needed for proper decontamination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the status on the usage and sterilization methods employed by dermatology staff and residents affiliated with an academic training centre in Ontario, Canada, with the overall goal of improving patient safety.
  
  
  METHODS
  An anonymous qualitative survey was conducted and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey had a response rate of 71% (n=34 of 48); 11 of 34 physicians reported using contact cryoprobes in their practice to treat viral infections, benign tumours, and malignant tumours. Out of the 11 using contact cryoprobes, 3 (27%) employed any type of cleaning method between patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Current use of contact cryotherapy probes could be improved for safety considerations. Patient safety may be enhanced by the incorporation of routine autoclaving or other recommended decontamination methods of contact cryotherapy probes between patients.
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Geneviève
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gavigan
authors.affiliation: University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
authors.forename: Alana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McEvoy
authors.affiliation: Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Canada University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada jbeecker@ottawahospital.on.ca.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Beecker
mesh_terms: D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003625:Data Collection; D003880:Dermatology; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D061214:Patient Safety / Q000592:standards*; D013242:Sterilization / Q000592:standards*; D013525:Surgical Instruments / Q000592:standards*
keywords: dermatology; infectious disease; pediatric