Sterility of Anesthetic and Resuscitative Drug Syringes Used in the Obstetric Operating Room

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Abstract
Holine, ephedrine, atropine, lidocaine, and oxytocin) often prepared in the obstetric OR. A total of 756 drug syringes were prepared and stored in the obstetric OR for 8 days using normal clinical practices. Starting on Day 0, and subsequently on Days 4 and 8 of the experiment, 42 syringes of each drug were randomly selected from the pool, filtered through a 0.45-[micro sign]m porosity sterile cellulose filter, and cultured on 5% sheep blood agar. Of the 756 syringes tested, none grew organisms of any type, which indicates a probability of drug sterility of >or=to0.9961 (95% confidence interval [CI]). The data from the cultures performed on syringes on Day 0 indicate a probability of initial contamination of <or=to0.018 (95% CI). This study demonstrates a high probability of sterility in drugs drawn into sterile syringes and stored at room temperature in an OR environment for up to 8 days. Implications: Drug syringes stored in emergency operating rooms are discarded after 24 h because of possible contamination. We searched for microorganisms in drug syringes stored in the operating room for up to 8 days. No microbes were detected using standard sterility testing techniques. Adopting longer storage periods could result in significant cost savings. (Anesth Analg 1998;86:994-7)...