Season 22 Rewind - Still Sticking Around: Thinking Through Residual Protein

Okay.

And Rory, you and I have had this discussion a couple of times about the difference between protein testing and ATP testing.

And again, we have some episodes that really break down the science and the difference between those two.

But why don't you break down in layman's terms what the difference is really between that protein test and the ATP test and why at your facility the protein test made sense?

So the main difference between ATP testing, which is, I believe, adenosine triphosphate versus just residual protein testing, is ATP testing looks for live strains only of that strand, whereas residual protein test is chemically designed to test for both living and dead across a broad spectrum of proteins.

So rather than focusing on something that hopefully was already killed by your enzymatic, I can pick up if there's even just neutralized bioburden still present.

If there's still organic gunk, even if it's dead, it could be a problem down the line.

So that was our main reason for changing directions, as well as just the industry standards for ATP weren't as well defined as they are protein testings as to what the high mark was.

Ours was 10%.

At my hospital, we were looking at 10% of what...

the Endoscopic Nursing Association said was a safe level.

But with the protein testing, there's a clearly established standard that everybody seems happy to stick with.

Okay.

Well, I definitely want to dive in a little bit to that standards and guidelines discussion.

But before we get there, I want to keep hitting this introductory definition welcome because, I don't know, I like to think about it when we introduce people to a new topic.

Like, could we explain this to aliens who haven't set foot in the department? And And so I appreciate that breakdown between the ATP and the proteins.

And like you said, that ATP is looking at the energy source of living organisms.

And so our washing process, particularly with that thermal disinfection, may give a clean result on the clean side because the ATP isn't present in what remains on that instrument.

But to your point, there might be residual proteins there that could still be detected.

So that is definitely consideration as you're thinking about the two.

But- The one more thing that I wanted you to press in on is what are we using these protein tests for? I mean, we've said the word sterile processing and washer disinfector at this point, but what are we doing with protein tests and why? Why is that important?

So the main use in my department for protein testing is any endoscopic devices that come down, lumen devices.

We'll both test residuals on the outside as well as within the lumen to make sure we've effectively brushed and neutralized anything within that lumen.

But we'll also use them if there's any question about are we being effective in cleaning our flat surfaces at the end of the day or is that bio-burden or not.

We've got swabs and we'll just swab a flat surface if we need to and do a quick test to see are we being effective in even just our disinfection process of our own workspace.