Analysis of the Carbon Dioxide Laser Plume for Simian Immunodeficiency Virus

Abstract

To determine the viability of the immunodeficiency virus in the laser plume after carbon dioxide (CO2) laser irradiation, multiple samples of culture medium containing concentrated simian immunodeficiency virus (SIVmac at 1000 TCID50 cultured from HUT 78 cells) were irradiated with a continuous‐wave CO2 laser at variable irradiances (from 400 W/cm2 for 5 seconds to 1600 W/cm2 for 300 seconds). The resultant plume was collected and cultured for the presence of SIV. A positive control consisted of handling an infected specimen identically to the test specimens, with the exception of CO2 laser irradiation. All test cultures remained negative over an 8 week incubation period, while the control was positive for viable SIV within 7 days. These results suggest that SIV is not viable in the laser plume after CO2 laser irradiation. Further investigation is necessary before extrapolating these results to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Treatment of verruca vulgaris and condyloma acuminatum with lasers

“…Intact and viable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) has been identified in the laser plume when treating HIV-infected tissue (32). Fortunately, no cases of HIV transmission have been documented from this type of exposure (33).…”

Viral Disease Transmitted by Laser-Generated Plume (Aerosol)

“…5 Several subsequent investigations [6][7][8] have confirmed these results with the papillomavirus, while viable bacteriophages have been found in the CO 2 laser plume using an agar model. 9 Although a simian immunodeficiency virus model failed to recover any virus from the laser plume, 10 positive results were obtained with an in vitro study 11 of the human immunodeficiency virus. Also, clinical surveys of laser users have revealed increased user infections with HPV; however, direct lesional contact may be the source of infectivity.…”

Infectivity of murine papillomavirus in the surgical byproducts of treated tail warts

“…For the coblation and KTP laser methods, a bubbler apparatus was connected to the wall vacuum system with an inline filter (Surgimedics, San Antonio, TX) between the bubbler apparatus and the wall. The bubbler apparatus consisted of a 250‐mL Erlenmyer flask, rubber stopper, 5‐mL plastic pipette (with the ends broken off), approximately 100 mL of Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) media, and tubing . During coblation, steam vapor was produced; during the KTP treatment, a smoke plume was produced.…”