CAN A HYDROPHILIC GUIDEWIRE BE RESTERILIZED

The Glidewire(R) (Microvasive, Natick, MA) or Terumo wire (Terumo, Jap an) is constructed with a hydrophilic polymer surface that enables eas ier passage through narrowed lumens in the urinary tract. This study e xamined the effects of gas sterilization on Glidewire surface structur e, slipperiness, and ability to support bacterial growth. Light micros copy at 100x and 400x and scanning electron microscopy at 100 to 1300x were used to compare the surface tips of five new 0.038-inch Glidewir es with those resterilized one or three times. The tips were immersed in water prior to standard gas sterilization for operating room equipm ent, Subjective evaluation of slipperiness involved asking 10 blinded urologists to assess the nature of new and resterilized wires by feel. Support of bacterial growth was assessed by comparing cultures perfor med on new wires (control) with those of wires incubated with Bacillus stearothermophilus, Microscopy, reviewed by a pathologist, revealed n o perceivable surface differences after one and three gas sterilizatio ns, Eight of the urologists noted similar or improved slipperiness of resterilized wires compared with new wires. Bacterial cultures of inte ntionally infected wire segments showed no growth after standard gas s terilization in all cases. In this study, gas sterilization did not ad versely affect the lubricious nature or the surface coating of the hyd rophilic coating of Glidewires, Also, gas resterilization was bacteric idal to new and used wires that had been infected with a heat-tolerant organism.