Did you know that over 50 percent of hospital room surfaces get missed in a terminal cleaning of a room between patients? Don’t be surprised, but more so, don’t lose hope because Tru-D SmartUVC, an automated ultraviolet cleaning system, is able to effectively decrease levels of common hospital bacteria significantly, according to Deverick Anderson, the MD and MPH of Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.
Anderson revealed that pathogens transmission in hospitalized patients is largely due to the environment. With many hospital surfaces lacking proper cleaning even in the best of situations, bacteria can live long enough until the next patient comes in. In addition, these germs are increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotic therapies.
Some common surfaces and places missed during a cleanup include light switches and remote controls. Common pathogens found in those areas include vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), clostridium difficile and acinetobacter. These germs can be eliminated by both direct line-of-sight and through reflected illumination from UV.
The study, performed in collaboration with University of North Carolina, identified patients with infections involving nine hospitals. 27 rooms housed patients with VRE, ten with difficile and two with acinetobacter. Cultures were also taken from the bedside rail, bedside table, chair arm, sink and supply cart among other places. Each of the rooms were then treated with Tru-D SmartUVC and the results showed that a statistically significant reduction of CFUs occurred in a total of 39 rooms. The treatment was performed before the standard terminal cleaning of the rooms took place, proving that the UVC treatments were more effective.
Tru-D works by generating a specific dose of ultraviolet-C energy on surfaces. The sensors monitor reflected UV light to ensure that a reliable, pathogen-lethal dose has been delivered. Tru-D’s Sensor360 is a patented technology that guarantees more than 99.9 percent reduction in virus and spores and works by breaking apart the DNA of bacteria rendering them harmless.
Edited by
Jamie Epstein
