title: Sequential Washing with Electrolyzed Alkaline and Acidic Water Effectively Removes Pathogens from Metal Surfaces.
abstract: Removal of pathogenic organisms from reprocessed surgical instruments is essential to prevent iatrogenic infections. Some bacteria can make persistent biofilms on medical devices. Contamination of non-disposable equipment with prions also represents a serious risk to surgical patients. Efficient disinfection of prions from endoscopes and other instruments such as high-resolution cameras remains problematic because these instruments do not tolerate aggressive chemical or heat treatments. Herein, we develop a new washing system that uses both the alkaline and acidic water produced by electrolysis. Electrolyzed acidic water, containing HCl and HOCl as active substances, has been reported to be an effective disinfectant. A 0.15% NaCl solution was electrolyzed and used immediately to wash bio-contaminated stainless steel model systems with alkaline water (pH 11.9) with sonication, and then with acidic water (pH 2.7) without sonication. Two bacterial species (Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and a fungus (Candida albicans) were effectively removed or inactivated by the washing process. In addition, this process effectively removed or inactivated prions from the stainless steel surfaces. This washing system will be potentially useful for the disinfection of clinical devices such as neuroendoscopes because electrolyzed water is gentle to both patients and equipment and is environmentally sound.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuichiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Norihiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Akamatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Fukuoka University, 8-19-1 Nanakuma, Jonan-ku, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sano
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsuya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgical Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagayasu
authors.affiliation: Kyowakiden Industry Co., Ltd., 10-2 Kawaguchi, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miyoshi
authors.affiliation: Kyowakiden Industry Co., Ltd., 10-2 Kawaguchi, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugio
authors.affiliation: Kyowakiden Industry Co., Ltd., 10-2 Kawaguchi, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: Kripton Co., Ltd., Dai 12 Daitetsu Bldg. 7F. 4-3-12 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sakae
authors.affiliation: Kripton Co., Ltd., Dai 12 Daitetsu Bldg. 7F. 4-3-12 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ichimiya
authors.affiliation: Kripton Co., Ltd., Dai 12 Daitetsu Bldg. 7F. 4-3-12 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahisa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.affiliation: Kripton Co., Ltd., Dai 12 Daitetsu Bldg. 7F. 4-3-12 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.affiliation: Teraoka Seikei Geka Hospital, 3-1-52 Minami-honjo, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuhzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-7-1 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
mesh_terms: D002176:Candida albicans; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000737:chemistry*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa; D013193:Stainless Steel; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: C118085:superoxidized water; D013193:Stainless Steel; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide