Rhys-davies exsanguinator: a haven for bacteria.

Serial swabs were taken from the inner and outer surfaces of a new Rhys-Davies exsanguinator before and after use on the limbs of patients to exsanguinate limbs prior to tourniquet inflation and surgery. Both surfaces of the exsanguinator showed increasing levels of contamination with bacterial colonisation with use starting from the first use. The organisms grown included potentially harmful bacteria such as Pseudomonas sp. The Rhys-Davies exsanguinator can harbour potentially harmful organisms and, thus, may raise the risk of infection transmission between patients when used without cleaning between uses. Methods of effective cleaning of the exsanguinator between uses are discussed.