No abstract

Background: A recent survey of in-hospital reprocessing in Tanzanian hospitals identified bag-valve masks (BVM) as a commonly reused single-use device. In low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), in-hospital reprocessing supports neonatal resuscitation strategies by helping to maintain adequate supplies of BVM. However, there is a need for device-specific protocols defining reprocessing procedures and inspection criteria to overcome variations in reprocessing practices between hospitals. The purposes of this study were: 1) to complete a comprehensive design review and identify challenges to reprocessing BVMs; and 2) to investigate three different residual bioburden analysis methods for assessing the efficacy of decontaminating a disposable BVM. Methods: New, unused bag-valve-masks were contaminated with Staphylococcus epidermidis and Artificial Mucus Soil to simulate the worst case soiling conditions. Devices underwent one of five disinfection protocols, including one currently used in a LMIC hospital. Three analytical (two quantitative and one qualitative) methods were selected to evaluate residual bioburden on the device following decontamination. Results: Of all protocols tested, only the positive control and the Soap and Bleach protocols met disinfection targets. Most cleaning outcomes were consistent from trial to trial for each protocol. However, cleaning outcomes varied greatly for the Alcohol Wipe protocol. For the residual bioburden analyses, the two quantitative methods produced similar results, but the qualitative measurement exhibited increased variability. Conclusion: While this study revealed positive disinfection outcomes for the Tanzanian hospital decontamination protocol, more studies are required to support these findings. Design features of the BVM mask presented challenges to cleaning and drying during different decontamination protocols, as seen in the variability in the Alcohol Wipe protocol performance. These

No abstract

The cytotoxic effects of red clover, blue false indigo, and red raspberry plant extracts were evaluated on CHO-K1 cells. The hormone-dependent CHO-K1 cells are ovarian cells derived from Chinese hamsters. Trifolium pratense (red clover) extracts were obtained from the blossoms and leaves of the red clover plant. Baptisia australis (blue false indigo) extracts were obtained from the roots, stems, and leaves of the blue false indigo plant. Rubus idaeus (red raspberry) extracts were prepared from the fruits of the red raspberry plant. Two methods, soxhlet and microwave assisted extractions, were utilized and evaluated for their effectiveness in producing phyto extracts. Methanol was the solvent used in both methods. In all experiments, the CHO-K1 cell line was exposed to the different extracts for a period of 48 hours. An MTS assay was performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the cytotoxic capabilities of each extract at different concentrations on the CHO-K1 cell line. After the collection of all the data, the 1:1 combination of red clover and red raspberry extracts, obtained via soxhlet extraction, yielded the most potent cytotoxic effects on the CHO-K1 cell line.