Clustering of infections caused by different PFGE types of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia occurring simultaneously in a university hospital.

protein and it is conceivable that some residual soiling may still have been present on the diathermy pencils but below the level of detection. Visual inspection of all of the diathermy pencils also revealed a scored topography due to repeated use and cleaning (Figure 1). The rough surfaces of the pencils may serve as a base for residual soiling from human sources to remain firmly attached despite some cleaning procedures used in hospitals. The results from this current investigation suggest that diathermy pencils may provide a vector for the transmission of prions associated with vCJD. Moreover, infection control teams need to be aware of this problem and rigorous pre-sterilization cleaning protocols should be implemented to remove traces of blood or tissue that may remain on the surface of scored pencils. Conversely, single-use disposable diathermy pencils incorporated into surgical procedures, particularly those involving the central nervous system and lymphatic tissue, would eliminate the potential transmission of prions by these instruments. Furthermore, the cost of a single-use disposable diathermy pencil is currently less than £2.00. This compares favourably with the total cost associated with the cleaning and sterilization of reusable diathermy devices, which we have estimated to be £5.00 per pencil. The authors wish to thank MSB for the educational grant, Carole Rawlings and Karen Badger for the provision of post-surgery diathermy pencils and Sharon Fox for the costing associated with cleaning and sterilizing reusable diathermy devices.