Abstract:
OBJECTIVE To compare the disinfection effectiveness of two cleaning models (centralized cleaning vs. departmental cleaning) for reusable TCM medical devices, and to provide evidence for the management of hospital-associated infection in TCM practice.
METHODS A total of 339 reusable TCM medical instruments, including centrally cleaned (n=144) and departmentally cleaned (n=195), were randomly sampled from various departments of Shenzhen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, between Nov. 1, 2024, and Feb. 1, 2025. Total bacterial count was used as the primary indicator. ATP bioluminescence and microbial culture methods were employed to evaluate and compare disinfection efficacy between the two groups. Chi-square tests were adopted to analyze intergroup differences.
RESULTS In the centralized cleaning group (n=144), no bacterial colonies were detected, and the qualified rate of high-level disinfection was 100.00%. In the departmental cleaning group (n=195), 109 instruments achieved high-level disinfection (pass, 55.90%), 60 achieved intermediate-level disinfection (pass, 30.77%) and 26 were classified as low-level disinfection (fail, 13.33%). Among different instrument types, the highest non-compliance rate was observed in cupping instruments (18.18%) within the departmental cleaning group. The difference in pass rates between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS Centralized cleaning demonstrates superior disinfection effectiveness compared to departmental cleaning. It is recommended that high-risk items, such as non-precious cupping instruments, be included in the centralized cleaning protocol. This should be accompanied by strengthened management standards and interdepartmental collaboration to mitigate the risk of hospital-associated infections in TCM practice.
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