The reusable ProSeal™ laryngeal mask airways (PLMA's) have the potential to act as a vector for the transmission of prion diseases such as variant Creutzveldt-Jacob disease. This study tested the hypothesis that supplementary compressed air jet cleaning facilitates the removal of protein deposits on PLMA's after surgery.

After clinical use, thirty PLMA's were randomly allocated to be washed by hand and with an autoclave (134℃ for 40 min) (group 1, n = 15), or by hand, autoclave and compressed air jet cleaning (1 min) (group 2, n = 15). In both groups, protein deposits were detected on PLMA's by erythrosine staining. A staining score designated as nil, mild, moderate, and severe was given to each site (outer, inner surface and edges of the cuff, airway and drain tube, finger strap) according to the percentage of stained surface area. The severity of staining was compared for masks prior to use and after cleaning the mask.

Despite the cleaning of masks, the staining score worsened on the outer, inner surface and edge of PLMA's in both groups (P < 0.05); however, a similar pattern was observed on each part of a cleaned PLMA for both groups.

We conclude that compressed air jet cleaning for 1 min did not improve the removal of protein deposits on PLMA's after surgery.