Question
AAA guidelines suggest possibly using Sporox instead of a glutaraldehyde solution. Who manufactures Sporox, and does it have the appropriate government approval to use as a disinfectant?
Answer
Sporox is a cold sterilant manufactured by Sultan Chemists of Englewood, NJ. There are several different brand-name products that are EPA-approved cold sterilants. The only approved solutions appropriate for sterilization include those containing either 7.5% hydrogen peroxide or 2% or more glutaraldehyde. Sporox is a brand-name 7.5% hydrogen peroxide product that produces no harmful fumes and is much safer for disposal.
For sterilization purposes, it is critical to follow manufacturer's instructions. Items submerged in Sporox must be pre-cleaned and soaked in the cold sterilant for 6 hours. For high level disinfection, items must be pre-cleaned and submerged for at least 10 minutes. Sporox is to be disposed of every 21 days. For more information on disinfection versus sterilization, two references are "Infection Control in the Hearing Aid Clinic" and "Infection Control in the Audiology Clinic" available through Oaktree Products.
Bob Kemp is CEO and A.U. Bankaitis, PhD, is VP of Business Development at Oaktree Products, Inc. in Chesterfield, MO, a resource for hearing health care professionals. Bob's background in microbiology and A.U.'s research background in HIV have led to a niche expertise in hearing health care infection control as they are considered the two leading experts in this area.
