In vitro evaluation of cleaning efficacy of detergents recommended for use on dental instruments

Background The cleaning stage of instrument decontamination processes is a critical control point, and removal of protein deposits is used as a marker of cleaning efficacy. An important factor is the choice of cleaning solution especially in the absence of any defined standards for detergent effecti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of infection control 2012-11, Vol.40 (9), p.e255-e259
Main Authors: Smith, Gordon W.G., PhD, McNeil, June, BDS, Ramage, Gordon, PhD, Smith, Andrew J., PhD, FRCpath
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biomarkers
Blood Proteins - analysis
Contamination
Decontamination - methods
Dental Instruments
Dental practice
Detergents
Detergents - pharmacology
Disease control
Humans
Infection Control
Infectious Disease
Instrument cleaning
Manual cleaning
Nosocomial infections
Osmosis
Reverse osmosis water
Temperature
Time Factors
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Summary:Background The cleaning stage of instrument decontamination processes is a critical control point, and removal of protein deposits is used as a marker of cleaning efficacy. An important factor is the choice of cleaning solution especially in the absence of any defined standards for detergent effectiveness. Methods Following method validation, stainless steel tokens were inoculated with reconstituted citrated blood and added to a 24-multiwell plate and immersed in different cleaning solutions for 5 minutes, agitated at 25 (20°) tilts/min at 22°C and at the manufacturers' recommended temperatures. Desorbed protein was measured using the bicinchoninic acid assay. Results From a starting concentration with a median of 3,700 μg of blood protein of all solutions tested, alkaline detergent (Haemo-sol) removed the largest proportion of protein (median, 2,070 μg), and surgical handwash removed the least protein (median, 0 μg). Reverse osmosis water demonstrated useful blood-removing properties with a median of 1,421 μg. Conclusion The cleaning system we utilized is a simple, inexpensive method to compare the cleaning efficacies of detergents and may be used as a first stage in benchmarking cleaning efficacy of detergents. Not all solutions used in cleaning dental instruments are efficacious at removal of blood.
ISSN:0196-6553
1527-3296
DOI:10.1016/j.ajic.2012.05.009