Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Microbial colonization of blom‐singer prostheses in postlaryngectomy patients

1993; Wiley; Volume: 103; Issue: 8 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1288/00005537-199308000-00013

1531-4995

M. Dean Palmer, Thomas Elliott, A. P. Johnson,

Dysphagia Assessment and Management

The microbial colonization of 44 Blom-Singer valves obtained from 16 patients over an 11-month period was investigated both by standard microbial culture methods and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The valves were all removed from the patients after failure to function correctly. The microbiology cultures revealed that Candida species and Staphylococcus aureus were present either individually or in combination on 43 valves. SEM showed yeast hyphae attached to and penetrating the surfaces of the 5 valves examined. Colonies of staphylococci were also seen on 2 of these 5 valves. Unlike similar investigations on other voice prostheses, S aureus colonization was associated with Candida colonization and valve failure.