Objective: To determine the in vitro efficacy of glucoprotamin for the disinfection of instruments.
Design: Prospective observational study.
Setting: University women's hospital.
Methods: Instruments were immersed in saline solution after use, and glucoprotamin was added to a concentration of 1.5% before soaking for 60 minutes. Biocidal activity was determined by the difference in colony-forming units (CFU) on instruments before and after disinfection.
Results: One hundred thirty-seven instruments were collected during 10 days and exposed to a 1.5% dilution of glucoprotamin without prior washing. Bioburden before disinfection ranged from 2 x 10(5) to 7.1 x 10(7) CFU per instrument. Average bacterial killing was 5.98 log10 CFU +/- 0.48 under aerobic conditions and 6.75 log10 CFU +/- 0.54 under anaerobic conditions, despite the presence of large amounts of proteins on instruments that were frequently bloody. No vegetative bacteria were isolated in any sample after disinfection.
Conclusion: This clinical study confirmed excellent in vitro efficacy of glucoprotamin without prior removal of proteins and debris.