TABLE 2.
Mean ATP Results and Culture Yield of Different Sampling Techniques Performed on an Endoscope Model
| Mean ATP Value (95% CI) | Mean Yield of Culture, % (Recovery Rate a ) (95% CI) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sampling technique | Non–biofilm PTFE | Biofilm PTFE | Non–biofilm PTFE | Biofilm PTFE |
| 10PHYS | 5,574 RLU (4,713–6,434) | 1,436 RLU (901–1,970) b | 34 (11–57) | 59 (47–71) |
| 10NPD | … | … | 32 (12–52) | 44 (25–63) |
| 10PHYS+SB | 4,454 RLU (3,297–5,610) | 1,408 RLU (915–1,901) | 22 (6–37) | 37 (13–60) |
| 10PHYS+PT | 5,014 RLU (4,104–5,924) | 2,579 RLU (1,623–3,536) b | 16 (5–26) | 57 (35–79) |
NOTE. 10PHYS, flushing with 10 mL sterile physiological saline; 10NPD, flushing with 10 mL NPD; 10PHYS+SB, flush-brush-flush using 10 mL sterile physiological saline and a standard cleaning brush; 10PHYS+PT, flush-brush-flush using 10 mL sterile physiological saline and a PULL THRU brush; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; RLUs, relative light units; CI, confidence interval; CFU, colony-forming units; PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene; …, experiment not performed because of interference of yellow-colored NPD solutions with measurement of ATP.
Percentage recovery of a certain technique compared to the positive controls.
Statistically significant difference between mean ATP value of 10PHYS and 10PHYS+PT sampling methods on biofilm-coated PTFE tubes (P=.047).