Course Access
Dear Matthias,
Thanks for your advice.
Sterile Alcohol wipe is common in my hospital for injection, venous puncture or IV ports access. Recently, we review and consider to introduce wipe of 2% chlorhexidine and 70% v/v isopropyl alcohol for IV peripheral line insertion. We found that the products available in the market is not sterile because chlorhexidine cannot undergo sterilization. Since it is not “sterile”, I have hesitation if it can also be used to disinfect IV ports or diaphragm of blood culture bottles.
Regards,
Ho Yuk Yin, APN/ICN
Infection Control Unit,
Tung Wah Hospital
Dear Ms/Mr Ho,
It can be used, provided that:
(a) the alcohol is in a sufficient concentration (at least 70% v/v ethanol or isopropanol would be required), and
(b) the alcohol wipes have been manufactured in a way that this excludes bacterial spore contamination.
Please note that for the purposes you describe, i.e. (i) to disinfect injection ports, and (ii) the diaphragms of blood culture bottles, the alcohol is the important component, not the chlorhexidine. For both purposes, alcohol wipes/swabs alone without the chlorhexidine would be sufficient.
The reason why bacterial spores need to be excluded is that the alcohol does not kill spores (actually none of the common antiseptics kills spores, also chlorhexidine does not), and this has to be taken care of during the manufacturing process. It helps if the swabs/wipes are specifically labelled as “sterile”, otherwise you may want to contact the manufacturer for further information.
Best regards, Matthias.
—
Matthias Maiwald, MD, FRCPA
Consultant in Microbiology
Adj. Assoc. Prof., Natl. Univ. Singapore
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital
100 Bukit Timah Road
Singapore 229899
Tel. +65 6394 8725 (Office)
Tel. +65 6394 1389 (Laboratory)
Fax +65 6394 1387
Dear All,
I wonder if antiseptic wipe ” alcohol based 2% Chlorhexidine” that indicated for skin disinfection can be used to disinfect injection ports or diaphragm of blood culture bottles. Please advise.
Regards,
Ho Yuk Yin, APN/ICN
Infection Control Unit
Tung Wah Hospital
________________________________
***************************************************************************
Disclaimer
This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by mistake.
Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.
All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.
Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.
Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au
To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.
You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au
[cid:kkh6baf.gif]kkh
________________________________
The information contained in this e-mail and the attachments (if any) may be privileged and confidential and is intended solely for the named addressee. If you are not the intended recipient, please do not print, retain copy, disseminate, distribute, or use this e-mail or any part thereof. Please notify the sender immediately by replying to this e-mail and delete all copies of this e-mail and the attachments.
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.
Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.
Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au
To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.
You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au
________________________________
***************************************************************************
Disclaimer
This Email may contain privileged and confidential information and is solely for the use of the intended recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not print, copy, distribute or take any action in reliance on it. If you have received this Email by mistake, please notify the sender and then delete this Email from your computer. The Hospital Authority does not accept liability arising from Email transmitted by mistake.
Although this Email and any attachments are believed to be free of virus or other defects that might affect any computer system into which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is virus free, and no responsibility is accepted by the Hospital Authority for any loss or damage in any way arising from its use.
All views or opinions expressed in this Email and its attachments are those of the sender and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Hospital Authority.
***************************************************************************
MESSAGES POSTED TO THIS LIST ARE SOLELY THE OPINION OF THE AUTHOR, AND DO NOT REPRESENT THE OPINION OF ACIPC.
The use of trade/product/commercial brand names through the list is discouraged by ACIPC. If you wish to discuss specific reference to products or services by brand or commercial names, please do this outside the list.
Archive of all messages are available at http://aicalist.org.au/archives – registration and login required.
Replies to this message will be directed back to the list. To create a new message send an email to aicalist@aicalist.org.au
To send a message to the list administrator send an email to aicalist-request@aicalist.org.au.
You can unsubscribe from this list be sending ‘signoff aicalist’ (without the quotes) to listserv@aicalist.org.au