Comparison of Sporicidal Activities of Commercial Disinfectant Wipes for Surface Decontamination

Li Chen: Comparison of Sporicidal Activities of Commercial Disinfectant Wipes for Surface Decontamination (Under the direction of Sally Mauriello) Digital intraoral receptors present an infection control challenge since they cannot be sterilized using traditional methods. This study evaluated the sporicidal effectiveness of CaviWipe ® , Volo ™ , and Dispatch ® wipes by directly treating spore strips impregnated with Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores and after incubation, observing for growth. Treated spore strips were progressively washed in trypticase soy broth (TSB) to determine both spore release and residual disinfectant removal. Ethylene oxide was effective in killing spores within the sealed barrier bag. All three disinfectants totally inhibited growth when disinfectant-treated strips were placed directly in TSB. Bacterial growth was recovered after Dispatch ® treatment by washing the treated strip suggesting inhibition was not sporicidal. In contrast, ten second exposures of either spore strips or contaminated PSP barrier bags with CaviWipe ® or Volo ™ resulted in sporicidal activity comparable to overnight sterilization with ethylene oxide. These wipes are a practical approach to decontaminate PSP barriers prior to receptor processing. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS