Abstract:
Selecting the appropriate disinfectant to control and prevent healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) is a challenging task for environmental health experts due to the large number of available disinfectant products. This study aimed to develop a label-free flow cytometry (FCM) method for the rapid evaluation of bactericidal activity and to compare its efficacy with that of standard qualitative/quantitative suspension tests. The bactericidal efficiency of eight commercial disinfectants containing quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) was evaluated against four strains recommended by EN 13727 (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus hirae) and four multidrug-resistant pathogens. The proposed FCM protocol measures changes in scattered light and counts following disinfectant exposure, neutralization, and culture steps. Unlike other available FCM-based methods, this approach does not rely on autofluorescence measurements, impedance cytometry, or fluorescent dyes. The FCM scattered light signals revealed both decreased count rates and morphological changes after treatment with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and higher concentrations for all tested bacteria. The results from the FCM measurements showed excellent correlation with those from standard assays, providing a rapid tool for monitoring the susceptibility profile of clinical, multidrug-resistant pathogens to chemical disinfectants, which could support infection prevention and control procedures for healthcare environments. This label-free FCM protocol offers a novel and rapid tool for environmental health experts, aiding in the optimization of disinfectant selection for the prevention and control of HAIs.
摘要:
由于大量可用的消毒剂产品,选择合适的消毒剂来控制和预防医疗保健相关感染(HAI)对于环境卫生专家来说是一项具有挑战性的任务。本研究旨在开发一种无标记流式细胞术(FCM)方法,用于快速评估杀菌活性,并将其功效与标准定性/定量悬浮测试进行比较。对EN13727推荐的四种菌株(大肠杆菌,铜绿假单胞菌,金黄色葡萄球菌,希雷肠球菌)和四种多重耐药病原体。拟议的FCM方案测量了暴露于消毒剂后散射光和计数的变化,中和,文化步骤。与其他可用的基于FCM的方法不同,这种方法不依赖于自发荧光测量,阻抗细胞术,或荧光染料。FCM散射光信号揭示了所有测试细菌在用最小抑制浓度(MIC)和更高浓度处理后降低的计数率和形态变化。FCM测量的结果显示与标准测定的结果具有极好的相关性,提供了一种快速的工具来监测临床的敏感性,对化学消毒剂的多药耐药病原体,这可以支持医疗保健环境的感染预防和控制程序。这种无标签的FCM协议为环境健康专家提供了一种新颖而快速的工具,协助优化消毒剂的选择,以预防和控制HAIs。