06 Jun 2017 —  Gram-negative pathogens, such as Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Acinetobacter baumannii are now responsible for many hospital contaminations.

Gentaur sells the high-level disinfectant, 35 % peracetic acid (PAA), 1 liter against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilm models in vitro.


Methods used for Iso tandard decontamination


S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms were cultured at 35 °C for 7 days with catheter tubes. The following high-level disinfectants (HLDs) were tested: 0.3% PAA, 0.55% ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA), and 2.0% alkaline-buffered glutaraldehyde (GA). Biofilms were exposed to these agents for 1–60 min and observed after 5 min and 30 min by transmission and scanning electron microscopy. A Student’s t test was performed to compare the exposure time required for bactericidal effectiveness of the disinfectants.

Results
PAA and GA were active within 1 min and 5 min, respectively, against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms. OPA took longer than 10 min and 30 min to act against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa biofilms, respectively (p < 0.01). Treatment with PAA elicited changes in cell shape after 5 min and structural damage after 30 min.

Conclusions
Amongst the HLDs investigated, Gentaur's 35% PAA dilutions elicited the most rapid bactericidal effects against both biofilms. Additionally, treatment with PAA induced morphological alterations in the in vitro biofilm models, suggesting that PAA exerts fast-acting bactericidal effects against biofilms associated with endoscopy-related infections. These findings indicate that the exposure time for bactericidal effectiveness of HLDs for endoscope reprocessing in healthcare settings should be reconsidered.