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Transmission of virus particles by cryotherapy and multi‐use caustic pencils: a problem to dermatologists?
Author(s) -
JONES S. K.,
DARVILLE J. M.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1989.tb15515.x
Subject(s) - laboratory flask , glass wool , wool , cryotherapy , transmission (telecommunications) , virus , liquid nitrogen , silver nitrate , medicine , materials science , chemistry , surgery , virology , nuclear chemistry , composite material , computer science , organic chemistry , telecommunications , layer (electronics)
SUMMARY The possibility of transmission of virus particles from patient to patient by multi‐use silver nitrate sticks and styptic pencils and by cotton wool swabs that have been dipped repeatedly into Dewar flasks of liquid nitrogen was studied. The results showed that transmission by the sticks and pencils in unlikely but that virus particles can be transferred into and out of Dewar flask on cotton wool swabs. We suggest that swabs should not be dipped repeatedly into the flask of liquid nitrogen but that, instead, a small aliquor of nitrogen should be decanted into a smaller ‘clean’ vessel and a new cotton swab used for each patient.