Swan J S, Deasy E C, Boyle M A, Russell R J, O'Donnell M J, Coleman D C
Facilities Department, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.
Microbiology Research Unit, Division of Oral Biosciences, Dublin Dental University Hospital, University of Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.
J Hosp Infect. 2016 Oct;94(2):169-74. doi: 10.1016/j.jhin.2016.07.007. Epub 2016 Jul 18.
Washbasin U-bends are reservoirs of microbial contamination in healthcare environments. U-Bends are constantly full of water and harbour microbial biofilm.
To develop an effective automated cleaning and disinfection system for U-bends using two solutions generated by electrochemical activation of brine including the disinfectant anolyte (predominantly hypochlorous acid) and catholyte (predominantly sodium hydroxide) with detergent properties.
Initially three washbasin U-bends were manually filled with catholyte followed by anolyte for 5min each once weekly for five weeks. A programmable system was then developed with one washbasin that automated this process. This U-bend had three cycles of 5min catholyte followed by 5min anolyte treatment per week for three months. Quantitative bacterial counts from treated and control U-bends were determined on blood agar (CBA), R2A, PAS, and PA agars following automated treatment and on CBA and R2A following manual treatment.
The average bacterial density from untreated U-bends throughout the study was >1×10(5) cfu/swab on all media with Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounting for ∼50% of counts. Manual U-bend electrochemically activated (ECA) solution treatment reduced counts significantly (<100cfu/swab) (P<0.01 for CBA; P<0.005 for R2A). Similarly, counts from the automated ECA-treatment U-bend were significantly reduced with average counts for 35 cycles on CBA, R2A, PAS, and PA of 2.1±4.5 (P<0.0001), 13.1±30.1 (P<0.05), 0.7±2.8 (P<0.001), and 0 (P<0.05) cfu/swab, respectively. P. aeruginosa was eliminated from all treated U-bends.
Automated ECA treatment of washbasin U-bends consistently minimizes microbial contamination.
洗脸盆U型弯管是医疗环境中微生物污染的储存器。U型弯管始终充满水并含有微生物生物膜。
利用盐水电化学活化产生的两种溶液开发一种有效的U型弯管自动清洁和消毒系统，这两种溶液分别是具有消毒性能的阳极电解液（主要是次氯酸）和具有清洁性能的阴极电解液（主要是氢氧化钠）。
最初，每周一次，将三个洗脸盆U型弯管手动装满阴极电解液，然后再装满阳极电解液，每次5分钟，持续五周。然后开发了一个可编程系统，该系统有一个洗脸盆，可自动执行此过程。这个U型弯管每周进行三个周期的处理，每个周期先注入5分钟阴极电解液，然后注入5分钟阳极电解液，持续三个月。在自动处理后，对处理过的和对照U型弯管在血琼脂（CBA）、R2A、PAS和PA琼脂上进行定量细菌计数，在手动处理后，在CBA和R2A上进行计数。
在整个研究过程中，未处理的U型弯管在所有培养基上的平均细菌密度均>1×10⁵ cfu/拭子，其中铜绿假单胞菌约占计数的50%。手动对U型弯管进行电化学活化（ECA）溶液处理可显著减少细菌计数（<100 cfu/拭子）（CBA上P<0.01；R2A上P<0.005）。同样，自动ECA处理的U型弯管的细菌计数也显著减少，在CBA、R2A、PAS和PA上进行35个周期处理后的平均计数分别为2.1±4.5（P<0.0001）、13.1±30.1（P<0.05）、0.7±2.8（P<0.001）和0（P<0.
