Merlin Ventilator
Disinfection with F10SC Disinfectant
Aim
The internal air passageways
of ventilators cannot be disinfected without completely stripping the machine,
an impractical procedure if this is to be done on a regular basis. The aim of this experiment was to test the effectiveness of the product F10 Disinfectant in a pre-diluted ready to use aerosol can pack to disinfect a contaminated ventilator.
Materials
F10 Disinfectant Aerosol
in a 500ml aerosol can is manufactured by Health and Hygiene (Pty) Ltd,
South Africa.
Method
The test was carried
out in March 2006.
Air from the outlet
of the Vetronic Services Merlin Ventilator was passed through sterile water to collect any possible colony forming units (cfu). The exiting conditions were established by taking
two samples after passing
a total of 8 litres of air through 250ml of sterile water.
The Merlin Ventilator
was then inoculated with a live culture of E coli spp in a broth supplied by Pinmoore Animal Laboratory Services, Cheshire who also did the microbiology analysis.
The inoculant was introduced to the ventilator by opening up the internal pipework and placing droplets of the culture inside the pipework. The pipework was then closed. The ventilator was then run for 30 minutes to disperse the inoculant before being switched off and left for 8 hours at room temperature. The ventilator was then switched on and the post inoculating
condition established by taking 2 samples by passing 8 litres of
ventilator output air through 250ml of sterile
water.
Disinfection of the
air passageways was performed using F10 Disinfectant Aerosol supplied by F10
Biocare, UK. The aerosol was activated and spray directed into the inlet of the ventilator
during the chamber-filling
stroke. In total, 20 X 2-second sprays were used. The ventilator was then
run for 1 hour continuously to circulate the disinfectant. After this period a further 8 litres of
outlet air was passed
through 250ml of sterile water and submitted for laboratory analysis.
Results:
Existing conditions
water sample analysis No. 1 count of 0 cfu/L
Existing conditions
water sample analysis No. 2 0 cfu/L
Post-inoculation water
sample analysis No.1 count of 100 cfu/L
Post-inoculation water
sample analysis No.2 75 cfu/L
Post-disinfection water
sample analysis No.1 count of 0 cfu/L
Post-disinfection water
sample analysis No.2 0 cfu/L
Conclusion
The use of F10 Disinfectant
Aerosol when directed into the inlet of the Merlin Ventilator chamber-filling
stroke for 20 X 2 sprays and circulated for 1 hour with the machine running totally eliminated all the inoculant E coli bacteria.
Keith Simpson, BVSc,
MRCVS, AMIIE (Electronics), Managing Director