[Microbial contamination of liquid-soap wall dispensers with one-way bottles].

Hygienic examinations were performed relating to microbial contaminations of different kinds of fluid soaps in relation to various systems of dispensers. Totally 492 specimens of fluid soap were examined comprising 14 different kinds of trade names (Code A-O), sampled in 14 different hospitals including 4 different systems of dispensers. Out of 14 trade name products--containing antimicrobial additives--8 proved to be sterile. The rest--declared as free from antimicrobial additives--showed bacterial contaminations of different grade. One of them (Code "O"), without antimicrobial additives) proved to be excessively contaminated with P. cepacia in 108 specimens out of 281, i.e. 38% in the range from 10(3)-10(6) CFU/ml. Further investigations on origin and mechanism of this alarming event revealed, that the cause for this dilemma was a failure in the dosing system of the one-way bottle dispensers used. This seems to be of fundamental importance for a great number of one-way-dispensers used at presence for fluid soaps or disinfectants: Changing only the emptied bottles out of the wall-attached device of dispenser causes inevitably a rapid recontamination of the new bottles, if not the dosing-device is as well removed and effectively cleaned and disinfected before reinserting.