Multicenter pilot study on the disinfection of optical instruments

There is undoubtedly a need fora safe disinfection method of optical instru ments used by ENT specialists. So far, a standard method that sufficiently covers the risk of infection for patients and medical staff alike while ser ving the need of practicability in daily routine has not been established. Therefore, in the ENT departments of the hospitals of Mannheim, Kaiserslaut ern, and Tubingen, studies on the disinfection of rigid optical instruments without working channel were performed between February 1999 and May 1999. Instruments were wiped either with an aldehyde or alcohol (ethanol 80%) an d germs were detected by quantitative swab cultures. As discussed in the ar ticle,disinfection with ethanol proved to be at lean equally efficient if n ot better than disinfection with aldehyde. Therefore, it fully serves the r equirements of a safe method far disinfecting optical instruments without w orking channels.