[Pilot study of disinfection of optical instruments in otorhinolaryngology].

There is undoubtedly a need for a safe disinfection method of optical instruments used by ENT specialists. So far, a standard method that sufficiently covers the risk of infection for patients and medical staff alike while serving the need of practicability in daily routine has not been established. Therefore, in the ENT departments of the hospitals of Mannheim, Kaiserslautern, and Tübingen, studies on the disinfection of rigid optical instruments without working channel were performed between February 1999 and May 1999. Instruments were wiped either with an aldehyde or alcohol (ethanol 80%) and germs were detected by quantitative swab cultures. As discussed in the article, disinfection with ethanol proved to be at least equally efficient if not better than disinfection with aldehyde. Therefore, it fully serves the requirements of a safe method for disinfecting optical instruments without working channels.