Bacterial contamination risk of propofol vials used in daily anesthesia practice and evaluation of antibacterial effect of lidocaine

Abstract

Objective: This study was performed to examine the bacterial contamination risk of propofol vials that are used for routine anesthesia practice and the antimicrobial effects of lidocaine which is added for prevention of injection pain in the operating theatres. Method: The samples were divided into two groups as propofol (Group P, n =55) or propofol plus 5 mL lidocaine 2 % (Group PL, n =54). Vials were opened early in the morning and used for a number of patients in routine anesthesia practice. The last used vials of the day were left in the room temperature for 24 hours on the following day. One hundred nine Propofol vials were collected and cultured samples were drawn into an automated aerobic hemoculture tube. Each culture tube was observed for microbial growth for fifteen days. Results: There was no bacterial contamination in all groups. All hemoculture tubes were observed for early and late bacterial growth, yielding no positive result. Conclusion: In our study, vials were kept at room temperature for 24 hours and no bacterial contamination was observed in any of the vials with or without lidocaine. Therefore, we cannot comment on the effect of lidocaine on bacterial contamination rate.