Validation of a hydrogen peroxide fumigation protocol for disinfecting an ambulance vehicle

The aim of this study was to completely disinfect the interior of an ambulance vehicle by hydrogen peroxide fumigation. This process was validated in three subsequent test runs to ensure that bacterial spores were inactivated. Thus, test carriers containing 1 × 106 spores of Geobacillus stearothermophilus as well as chemical indicators (strips showing a color change in the presence of hydrogen peroxide vapor) were placed in 20 different locations inside an ambulance vehicle. After testing different hydrogen peroxide fumigation protocols using a generator connected to the vehicle from the outside, we validated one protocol with a total running time of 4 hr and hydrogen peroxide concentrations of 300 to 380 ppm, which resulted in a reliable and complete inactivation of all spore carriers. Hydrogen peroxide fumigation was shown to be a suitable method to reliably disinfect an ambulance car with most of the equipment remaining inside. The results of this study suggest that hydrogen peroxide fumigation may be a feasible method to disinfect the interior of an ambulance vehicle after a biological risk situation.