An Experimental Study on Gelfoam Contamination in the Room Air

Jin, Uk; Oh, Joo Hyeong; Yoon, Yup; Ko, Young Tae; Choi, Woo Suk; Kim, Eui Jong; Seo, Jin Tae

Abstract

PURPOSE
To evaluate the air contamination of the gelfoam in the angio-intervention room.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
After exposing four groups of gelfoam(group A1 : gelfoam fragment, group A2 : gelfoam fragment+ saline +contrast media, group B1 : gelfoam powder, group B2 : gelfoam powder + saline + contrast media) to air in the angio-intervention room, we inoculated gelfoam in each group to 30 agar plates each at every fifteen minutes for one hour with aseptic cotton buds. Cultivating them in the incubator for one day, we evaluated the growth of bacteria or fungus.
RESULTS
Out of 480 inoculated agar plates, the growth of coagulase(-) staphylococci was visible in 14 ; in group A1, two at 30 minutes, three at 45 minutes, and four at 60 minutes ; in group A2, one at 45 minutes and two at 60 minutes ; in group B1 and B2, one each at 45 minutes. The stastical analysis on bacterial contamination according to time sequence and group revealed no significance(p<0.05).
CONCLUSIONS
If gelfoam is exposed to room air for less than 30 minutes, it is possible to reduce contamination by air-borne bacteria. Since coagulase-negative Staphylococci resistant to commonly used antibiotics, it is ideal to reduce exposure of gelfoamto room air for less than 30 minutes.