Effect of disinfectants with and without usage of detergent for the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope.

The purpose of this study was to find a safer, more rapid and easier disinfection process for the flexible fiberoptic bronchoscope (F.F.B.) by using ordinary disinfectants and a detergent. Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aures, E. coli, Serratia marcescens and Candida albicans were used as sources of contamination. The mixed bacterial growth preparations for contamination of the F.F.B. were the same as those previously mentioned in our study. Comparative bacteriological studies, between glutaraldehyde (GA) ethylalcohol (AL) and chlorhexidine (CHX) with and without usage of benzalkonium chloride (B.C.) solution and sterile water (W) as the detergent were performed and the following conclusions were obtained: 1. Contaminating microorganisms were reduced from 10(-3)/ml to 10(-4)/ml colony count after flushing with W and B.C. This procedure is very helpful for consecutive rapid disinfections or sterilizations of the F.F.B. 2. The effect of disinfectants with usage of a detergent was much better than without a detergent. Required immersion time in the disinfectants with detergent was reduced to periods as short as 60 seconds. 3. Of the three disinfectants, the most effective was CHX, GA next, and AL third. 4. Unsatisfactory disinfection occurred in some instances when there were functional disorders with the F.F.B. despite adequate amounts of disinfectant and detergent.