Dear Sir:We recently developed methods for tanning shearlings (sheepskins with the wool still on) with glutaraldehyde for producing improved hospital bed pads [3]. The golden-yellow color of the wool and analyses of the solutions before and after reaction with glutaraldehyde indicated a significant amount of glutaraldehyde fixation by the keratin [3]. This letter reports quantitative details of this reaction and chemical and physical properties of the glutaraldehyde-stabilized wool.Experimental . The wool for these studies was removed from a scoured, depickled shearling by applying a lime-sodium sulfi

Glutaraldehyde-tanned woolskin pads which are used for the prevention of decubitus ulcers in bed patients were experimentally contaminated with polio or vaccinia viruses. Two methods of exposure, direct contact and aerosol, were used in separate experiments. Attempts were made to remove or inactivate these virus contaminants by laundering the woolskins in a quaternary ammonium disinfectant, a phenolic disinfectant, or alkalinized glutaraldehyde, in combination with an anionic detergent or a nonionic detergent. The effect of a commercial detergent-sanitizer was also studied. The virus titers were significantly reduced in all experiments, but only laundering in glutaraldehyde in combination with either detergent lowered the vaccinia virus titers to below detectable limits. High concentrations of glutaraldehyde altered the texture of the wool and leather apparently by precipitating a component of the detergent onto the fibers. In all the poliovirus experiments, the virus was still detectable on either or both the wool and the leather of the pads after laundering. The rinse water from each experiment was tested for the presence of virus. No vaccinia virus was recovered, but poliovirus was demonstrated in titers up to 10 3 cell culture 50% infectious doses.

Glutaraldehyde-tanned woolskins which are used as bedpads to prevent decubitus ulcers were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC 6538) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (ATCC 15442). Two methods of exposure, direct contact and aerosol, were used in separate experiments. Attempts were made to decrease the bacterial population placed on the woolskins by laundering them in a quaternary ammonium disinfectant, a phenolic disinfectant, or alkalinized glutaraldehyde, in combination with an anionic or nonionic detergent. The effect of a commercial detergent-sanitizer was also studied. Bacterial populations were significantly reduced in all experiments, but only laundering in glutaraldehyde in combination with either detergent resulted in maximum removal of bacteria. Viable bacteria were usually not detected in the rinse water (<1 viable organism/5 ml of rinse water).

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