American study found that presence of microorganisms on cleaned EEG cup electrodes may be correlated to cleaning practices
A recent study from the Neurodiagnostic Journal compared the cleaning practices of reusable EEG cup electrodes in four hospitals. The cleaning process of reusable EEG cup electrodes is very comprehensive and costly. The study compared nine characteristics of the cleaning process and found that microorganisms were present on several cleaned electrodes despite local cleaning pratices.2
Did you know ...
EEG cup electrodes are classified as semi-critical devices due to the abrasion of the skin prior to EEG cup application. That’s why it’s essential they are completely free from bacteria upon use.
The cleaining proces
The cleaning process of EEG electrodes is very comprehensive and costly. When you combine the cost of reusable EEG electrodes with the cost (and time) spent on cleaning them, reusable EEG electrodes can become expensive devices.
American study found a lack of a standard cleaning process for reusable EEG cup electrodes
The study compared nine characteristics of the cleaning practice: transportation time, wait time pre-cleaning, storage pre-cleaning, disinfection time, cleaning time, bundled cleaning, drying practice, drying time and storage post-cleaning2. Prolonged drying time was associated with a higher positive culture rate. This indicates that drying with a clean towel may be safer than air drying. However instead, single use electrodes may be a safe and cost-effective option for hospitals, reducing the risk of patient cross-contamination.
Download summary
Download the summary of the multi-center Study now.
References
N. M. M. Albert et al. Am J Infect Control 2018, Contamination of Reusable EEG Electrodes: A Multi-Center Study
N. M. M. Albert et al. Neurodiagn J 2018, Reusable Electroencephalography Electrodes: Variability in Cleaning and Reprocessing Practices
