Eficácia do uso de capa de proteção intraoral estéril (CPIE) para realização de videolaringoscopia

Abstract

The airway examination is one of the stages in the otorhinolaryngological consultation and can be performed with the aid of instruments called videolaryngoscopes, making the exam an effective tool for the diagnosis of laryngeal lesions. Proper reprocessing of equipment is critical to prevent device contamination as well as the risk of infections between patients. It is considered that the use of Sterile Intraoral Protective Cap (SIPC) as a mechanical barrier makes it possible to prevent the videolaryngoscope contact with the patient's mucosa creating a protective barrier. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of using a SIPC as a barrier to prevent cross contamination when using videolaryngoscopes in routine otolaryngology examinations. This is a cross-sectional study, quantitative in nature about the effectiveness of the use of sterile protection barrier in order to be a complementary method to avoid cross contamination. Biological samples were obtained from 29 individuals from four collection points during the videolaryngoscopy procedure. The surfaces that come in contact with the oral mucosa of the individuals were considered for the study. The decontamination measurement was performed by the traditional microbiological methods and the alternative method, the ATP-bioluminescence test. Data analysis was conducted by nonparametric comparative and correlative tests, such as the Kappa test and Friedman test. The results show that the use of the protective cover was effective. The readings taken for decontamination by the microbiological method showed that 97,7% of the samples do not present microbial growth; the averages obtained in the four stages of collection were compared with borderline values of the study and classified into categories of acceptable and unacceptable contamination level. All readings taken by the ATP-bioluminescence test were below the established limit and the surfaces were considered clean and acceptable for decontamination levels, thus use of SIPC in videolaryngoscopy equipment was considered an effective and safe method to control related infections to health environments. The SIPC-coated videolaryngoscope used as a protective barrier has proved to be an effective alternative to prevent possible cross contamination of patients. Significant correlation and equivalence of results were observed between the traditional microbiological method and the alternative method employing ATP-bioluminescence, according to the applied statistical test. Further research is suggested regarding the efficacy, resistance and usability of protective covers in videolaryngoscopy equipment to understand patients' biosafety in the outpatient setting.