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Antistatic treatment for reducing airborne contamination of insulating materials in intensive care
Author(s) -
Cozanitis D. A.,
Ojajärvi J.,
Mäkelä P.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
acta anaesthesiologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 107
eISSN - 1399-6576
pISSN - 0001-5172
DOI - 10.1111/j.1399-6576.1988.tb02741.x
Subject(s) - antistatic agent , contamination , medicine , benzalkonium chloride , staphylococcus epidermidis , coating , sheet resistance , composite material , microbiology and biotechnology , materials science , staphylococcus aureus , layer (electronics) , bacteria , ecology , pathology , biology , genetics
In an effort to reduce airborne contamination by Staphylococcus epidermidis harboured on emitted skin scales, items used in patient care were studied as regards bacterial contamination and electrical resistance. An alcoholic benzalkonium chloride sodium was used to coat stopcocks, latex drains, silicon drains and plastic covering. Static electricity did not accumulate when the insulating resistance was < 10 9 to 10 10 ohms. Study items not treated with the antistatic solution had resistances of >2 times 10 12 ohms, which decreased to 2 times 10 6 to 8 times 10 10 ohms following antistatic treatment. The resistance of the silicon drain before and after antistatic exposure remained unchanged; an increase in its weight after treatment suggests absorption rather than the solution adhering to its surface. Statistically significantly lowered aerobic bacterial colony counts occurred from study items antistatically treated as compared to those items left untreated. The coating of an entire room and its metal contents failed to decrease bacterial contamination. The results suggest that coating of insulating objects with an antistatic solution will reduce electrical resistance and thereby airborne bacterial contamination.