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Evaluation of bacterial survival on inert surfaces in a hyperbaric environment
Laetitia Hendier1, Hervé Soule2, Mohamed Abbas2, Didier Pittet2, Rodrigue Pignel3, Sylvain Boet3
1 Internal Medicine Department, University of Geneva Hospitals, Switzerland
2 Infection Control Programme and WHO Collaborating Centre on Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Prevention and Control, University of Geneva Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, Geneva, Switzerland
3 Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine Unit, Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Clinical Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals and Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
Corresponding author: Dr Laetitia Hendier, Internal Medicine Department, The University of Geneva Hospitals, rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland
ORCiD: 0009-0000-2276-4712
Keywords
Bacteria; Hyperbaric oxygen; Infection control; Microbiology; Pressure chamber; Safety
Abstract
(Hendier L, Soule H, Abbas M, Pittet D, Pignel R, Boet S. Evaluation of bacterial survival on inert surfaces in a hyperbaric environment. Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine. 2025 30 September;55(3):231−235. doi: 10.28920/dhm55.3.231-235. PMID: 40986918.)
Introduction: Surface cleaning and hand hygiene within hyperbaric chambers are challenging because of the risk of fire with currently used products containing alcohol or glycerine. This study aimed to investigate if hyperbaric conditions could have inhibitory effects on bacteria present on inert materials.
Methods: We deposited Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) on inert materials in an experimental chamber (Comex1200Alu) and compressed the chamber environment with air (253 kPa, 95 minutes) (referred to as indoor). The control was contaminated materials placed outside the chamber (referred to as outdoor). We chose inert materials including plastic, metal, and seat upholstery (imitation leather). We measured bacterial growth and survival and compared the groups using a Student’s t-test.
Results: Regardless of the surface types tested, there were no significant differences in bacterial reduction between indoor and outdoor conditions for either E. coli or S. aureus and any of the materials (P > 0.05).
Conclusions: We found that pressurised air (253 kPa for 95 minutes) has neither proliferative nor bactericidal action on S. aureus and E. coli colonies deposited on inert surfaces compared to those present outside a hyperbaric chamber in normobaric air conditions.
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