BACTERIAL EVALUATION OF DIFFERENT DISINFE CTION PROCEDURES WITHIN FLUID PATHWAYS OF HEMODIALYSIS MONITORS COBE CS3 AND AK-100

In recent years, hemodialysis treatment for chronic renal failure has been increasing. Although the technical evolutions have improved the t herapy, the problem of microbial, toxical and chemical contamination o f the dialysis fluid is now re-emerging. Most of all, because of incre asing use of high-flux dialysis and its potential for transmembrane tr ansport of bacteria into patients one should be aware that dialysis fl uid pathways may be colonised with bacteria. On the bacterial point of view, the French legislation proposed 100 CFU/mL as a maximum for tot al count of aerobic bacteria in the hi-osmosed water used for dilution of the dialysis concentrate. This study took place during 8 weeks in the children-hospital dialysis unit in Nancy (France). Our laboratory have succeeded in validating an aseptic bacteriological sampling proce dure within fluid pathways of haemodialysis monitors Cobe CS3 and AK 1 00. It has also be shown that 6 to 12 hours of dialysis monitoring doe sn't affect the quantitative and qualitative bacterial contamination o f the biosmosed water (mean: 5 CFU/100 mL) drained through the 5 years ' old internal pipes of the 2 monitors. So it has wathever the 4 diffe rent desinfection procedures applied and on the monitors (Formol or Fo rmol + Citric acid + Chlorine or Heat or Heat + deshydrated Citric aci d).