Activity ofGlutaraldehyde atLowConcentrations (<2%)against Poliovirus andItsRelevance toGastrointestinal Endoscope Disinfection Procedures

Theactivity ofglutaraldehyde (GTA)atlowconcentrations (<2%)against poliovirus was assessed bya suspension procedure. Theinactivation kinetics showedthatconcentrations of.0.10% wereeffective against purified poliovirus atpH 7.2; a 1loglo reduction was obtained in70minwith0.02%GTA,anda 3log1o reduction was obtained in30minwith0.10%GTA.GTAactivity atlowconcentrations was greatly enhanced atalkaline pH,butwascompletely abolished atacid pH.Incontrast, theinactivation assaysonpoliovirus RNA showed that itwas highly resistant toGTAatconcentrations up to1.0%atpH7.2.AtpH8.3alowinactivation was noticed with1.0%GTA.Ourresults are ofrelevance tohospital practice indigestive endoscopy investigations because there hasbeenan increasing tendency touselowconcentrations ofGTA andveryshort contact times indisinfection procedures. Glutaraldehyde (GTA)isasaturated 5-carbon dialdehyde [CHO-(CH2)3-CHO], usedsince theearly 1960s fordisinfec