Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2018; 66(S 01): S1-S110
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627840
Oral Presentations
Sunday, February 18, 2018
DGTHG: IABP/ECC/LVAD
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Bacterial Transmission from Heater Cooler Devices in Cardiac Surgery - An Update

M. Kaluza
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
G. Färber
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
B. Löffler
3   Institute of Medical Microbiology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
,
M. Pletz
4   Center for Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Jena, Jena, Germany
,
T. Doenst
1   Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Publication Date:
22 January 2018 (online)

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Objectives: Last year we demonstrated that new LivaNova FlexTherm Heater Cooler devices (HCD) cannot be expected to remain sterile despite extensive decontamination procedures but that an airborne contamination process is unlikely when laminar airflow is present in the operating room. In parallel, the company recalled the FlexTherm devices and many Departments acquired a different Gettinge/Maquet HCU40 HCD, with a different mechanism of action. We now evaluated the possibility of contamination of the new HCU40 HCDs.

Methods: All four LivaNova HCDs in our department were replaced with HCU 40 HCDs. We analyzed bacterial colonization of the devices from the arrival until now. After unpacking, before the first decontamination processes, we took swab samples from different parts of the water tank. After first filling we took water probes and repeated this every 14 days, before the cleaning process was initiated. Routine air samplings and swab samples from the operating room were performed.

Results: There was no mycobacterium in any of our samples. All devices reached the clinic without contamination. The longest examination time with one device was 266 days. The other three devices have an observation intervals were up to 60 days. Colony forming units (CFU) higher than 100 CFU/100ml was identified after four weeks in the first device. The other three devices are free of CFU at the moment. The CFU identified in the device (Pseudomonas oleovorans) was not detectable in the operating room where the device was operating, neither by swab nor by air samples.

Conclusion: The new HCU40 heater cooler devices appear to be more resistant to bacterial contamination and do not appear to exchange bacteria (if present) from the water reservoir with the environment. Our preliminary results therefore suggest, that using the new HCU40 inside the operating room for cardiac surgical procedures is safe without relevant risk for bacterial transmission to the surgical field.