Hypochlorous acid and white vinegar: Artifact-free COVID-19 disinfection options for photostimulable storage phosphor plates.

OBJECTIVES

To examine the artifacts on intraoral photostimulable storage phosphor (PSP) plate images caused by 3 different disinfectants that are effective against pathogens including SARS-CoV-2.

STUDY DESIGN

Nine new PSP plates, to be wiped with hypochlorous acid (HOCl) in group A, alcohol in group B, and white vinegar in group C, were distributed in 3 groups. Twelve images of each PSP plate with increasing numbers of wipes were examined for artifacts. The comparisons were evaluated by Kruskal-Wallis and post hoc tests. The reliability of the measurements was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen kappa statistic.

RESULTS

Artifacts were observed only on group B images. In terms of artifact scores, the difference between group A and group C was not statistically significant (P > .05), whereas group B artifact scores were significantly higher than group A and group C (P < .05). Intraobserver reliability was perfect (ICC and kappa of 1.0) and interobserver reliability was considered excellent (ICC = 0.985) or almost perfect (kappa = 0.956).

CONCLUSIONS

HOCl and white vinegar can be alternative disinfection options for PSP plates tested in this study. Unlike alcohol, they did not produce artifacts. Additional research evaluating their effects on image quality is needed to determine if they are appropriate for disinfection.