Kunststoff-Einmalinstrumente aus Hochleistungspolymer bei Tonsillektomien und Adenotomien
- Resource Type
- Authors
- P.-S. Mauz; A. Tropitzsch; M. Dworschak; P. K. Plinkert; D. Funk
- Source
- HNO. 51:405-413
- Subject
- medicine.medical_specialty
business.industry
medicine.medical_treatment
Standard methods
New variant
nervous system diseases
Surgery
Tonsillectomy
Otorhinolaryngology
mental disorders
medicine
Head and neck surgery
In patient
Cerebral tissue
Disposable Equipment
business
- Language
- ISSN
- 1433-0458
0017-6192
Cases of the new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) in human beings have to be anticipated in Germany. In subclinical vCJD, the accumulation of prions in lymphoid tissue has been identified prior to their manifestation in cerebral tissue. The remarkable resistance of prions to standard methods of sterilisation questions the safety of reusing metallic surgical instruments. The transmission of vCJD via such reusable surgical instruments in tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies cannot be excluded. In this study, 96 tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies were performed with disposable instruments made of a high performance polymer (Aesculap, Tuttlingen). No increase in the number of intra- or postoperative complications was evident. These disposable instruments may represent an alternative to reusable metallic surgical instruments in potentially infected patients or in patients desiring the use of disposable instruments during their operation for safety reasons.