DECONTAMINATION
are not compatible with the surface material. These damaged surfaces may compromise the ability to decontaminate medical devices adequately and may even interfere with device functionality.
All staff involved in decontamination of medical devices were instructed that if the manufacturer’s decontamination instructions were inadequate then they should report this to the MHRA and the manufacturer. The alert further requested identification of all device decontamination processes that include using a detergent or disinfectant wipe on a plastic surface and requested a compatible process in accordance with the device manufacturer’s instructions.
Studies agree the issues raised in this
alert with cracked polymer housing, known as environmental stress cracking, being found to occur three to four months after the initial use in the healthcare environment.16 Therefore, it is important to choose medical devices that are made of a polymer that is resistant to the powerful disinfectants we need to use in healthcare.
Why is it important to consider wipe selection?
Wipes are routinely used to clean and disinfect patient equipment and environmental surfaces as they provide a convenient and rapid method. In the absence of national guidance on wipe selection and use, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) issued guidance on the selection and use of
Disinfectant-only wipes such as alcohol wipes are now rarely used in the UK, as they have no cleaning action and therefore are open to misuse.
One recommendation was that a collaboration between all stakeholders should take place to investigate the development of realistic standard test methods. This would reflect real-life applications of wipe products to support wipe selection and purchase in healthcare. MDA/2013/019 highlights that this collaboration was not happening. There are three categories of wipes: detergent wipes for general purpose cleaning of visibly soiled areas; disinfectant-only wipes; and combination disinfectant/ detergent wipes for the removal/reduction of micro-organisms potentially hazardous to health. Disinfectant-only wipes such as alcohol wipes are now rarely used in the UK, as they have no cleaning action and therefore are open to misuse if cleaning does not take place. They are not sporicidal and can damage some equipment (rubbers and
wipes.17
plastics), particularly with prolonged use.18 If using a detergent product, some organisms will remain on the surface. Surfaces should always be dried after cleaning as this will remove more organisms. For those remaining wet, moisture (coupled with a warm, humid environment) allows microbial growth.19,20
In contrast, disinfectant
products should generally be allowed to air dry, to allow maximum wet (and therefore active) contact of the surface with the disinfectant.
In addition to the growing evidence that use of disinfectants should be more widely considered, there is now evidence of the benefits of using disinfectants and detergents in a ready-to-use wet wipe.21-23
Evidence
showing that disinfectant wipes are three times more effective at reducing bacterial burden than detergent wipes is particularly significant since detergent wipes have been shown to transfer micro-organisms to multiple surfaces.24,25
evidence that surface disinfection reduces microbial transfer to fingertips.26
There is now robust Ready-to-
use disinfectant wet wipes have been proven to significantly increase cleaning compliance while resulting in more rapid and effective processes with associated cost savings in terms of staff time.27 The importance of selecting the right wipe standard efficacy tests for disinfectants can be inconsistent as they are not designed for wet wipes. Information on the effectiveness of a product can usually only be derived
Contact us to receive your personal Erbe product card. email:
sales@erbe-uk.co.uk
Erbe Medical UK Ltd Leeds United Kingdom +44 113 253 0333
erbe-uk.com MARCH 2017
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