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Friday, March 19, 2010
Grand Hall (Hyatt Regency Atlanta)
Background: Environmental surfaces play an important role in transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. Several studies have demonstrated that cleaning of surfaces in healthcare facilities is often suboptimal. There is a need for new disinfection methods that are effective but also safe, rapid, and automated. The Tru-DTM Rapid Room Disinfection device is a mobile, fully-automated room decontamination technology that utilizes ultraviolet-C irradiation to kill pathogens.
Objective: To examine the efficacy of Tru-D disinfection verses standard housekeeping disinfection on commonly-touched surfaces and surfaces not easily amenable to manual application of disinfectant in rooms of hospitalized patients and on portable medical equipment.
Methods: Cultures for C. difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were collected from commonly-touched surfaces in rooms and on portable medical equipment before and after use of the Tru-D device (reflective dose, 22,000 µWs/cm2 for ~45 minutes). Staphylococcus warneri was planted on portable medical equipment and under the edges of bedside tables (i.e., a frequently touched site not easily amenable to manual application of disinfectant) and cultures were collected before and after Tru-D disinfection (reflective dose of 12,000 µWs/cm2 for ~ 20 minutes) or standard house-keeping disinfection.
Results: Disinfection of hospital rooms with Tru-D reduced the frequency of positive C. difficile cultures by 83%. No cultures of portable equipment were positive for C. difficile. However, S. warneri planted on portable medical equipment was reduced by ~ 2.0 logs on sites that may be missed by standard housekeeping cleaning (i.e. inside of handles, rolled up pressure cuffs, and the inside edges of equipment). In hospital rooms, an average of 3.5 logs of planted S. warneri remained under each bedside table after routine hospital cleaning versus 0.8 logs per site after Tru-D disinfection (P = 0.06). After routine hospital cleaning, 18% of sites under the edges of bedside tables were contaminated with MRSA versus 0% after Tru-D disinfection (P <0.001).
Objective: To examine the efficacy of Tru-D disinfection verses standard housekeeping disinfection on commonly-touched surfaces and surfaces not easily amenable to manual application of disinfectant in rooms of hospitalized patients and on portable medical equipment.
Methods: Cultures for C. difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were collected from commonly-touched surfaces in rooms and on portable medical equipment before and after use of the Tru-D device (reflective dose, 22,000 µWs/cm2 for ~45 minutes). Staphylococcus warneri was planted on portable medical equipment and under the edges of bedside tables (i.e., a frequently touched site not easily amenable to manual application of disinfectant) and cultures were collected before and after Tru-D disinfection (reflective dose of 12,000 µWs/cm2 for ~ 20 minutes) or standard house-keeping disinfection.
Results: Disinfection of hospital rooms with Tru-D reduced the frequency of positive C. difficile cultures by 83%. No cultures of portable equipment were positive for C. difficile. However, S. warneri planted on portable medical equipment was reduced by ~ 2.0 logs on sites that may be missed by standard housekeeping cleaning (i.e. inside of handles, rolled up pressure cuffs, and the inside edges of equipment). In hospital rooms, an average of 3.5 logs of planted S. warneri remained under each bedside table after routine hospital cleaning versus 0.8 logs per site after Tru-D disinfection (P = 0.06). After routine hospital cleaning, 18% of sites under the edges of bedside tables were contaminated with MRSA versus 0% after Tru-D disinfection (P <0.001).
Conclusions: The Tru-D Rapid Room Sterilization device is a novel, automated, and efficient environmental disinfection technology that significantly reduces C. difficile and Staphylococcus spp. contamination on commonly touched hospital surfaces. The Tru-D device reduces contamination levels on surfaces not easily amenable to standard housekeeping disinfection.