The fall tradeshow and conference season is in full
swing. As I write this blog I am waiting
for the opening ceremonies of Exchange 2013 (Association for the Healthcare
Environment's (AHE) annual conference).
Could there be a better place to learn about cleaning and disinfection
than a convention with delegates whose day to day responsibility is
environmental hygiene?
swing. As I write this blog I am waiting
for the opening ceremonies of Exchange 2013 (Association for the Healthcare
Environment's (AHE) annual conference).
Could there be a better place to learn about cleaning and disinfection
than a convention with delegates whose day to day responsibility is
environmental hygiene?
I am not certain what I find more concerning at
tradeshows; delegates running from booth to booth in search of a knight in
shining armour (aka the next silver bullet) or the noise permeating from
vendors as to why their product is the answer to every facilities problems.
I wonder sometimes if in today's society where we see technological
advancements as the answer to everything if we forget that sometimes getting
back to basics can in fact improve outcomes as much (OR BETTER) than trying to
implement some new fangled gizmo.
tradeshows; delegates running from booth to booth in search of a knight in
shining armour (aka the next silver bullet) or the noise permeating from
vendors as to why their product is the answer to every facilities problems.
I wonder sometimes if in today's society where we see technological
advancements as the answer to everything if we forget that sometimes getting
back to basics can in fact improve outcomes as much (OR BETTER) than trying to
implement some new fangled gizmo.
For that I would like to applaud Curtis Donskey and his
research team for the study they published in ICHE titled "An Environmental Disinfection Odyssey: Evaluation of Sequential Interventions to Improve Disinfection of Clostridium difficile Isolation Rooms".
research team for the study they published in ICHE titled "An Environmental Disinfection Odyssey: Evaluation of Sequential Interventions to Improve Disinfection of Clostridium difficile Isolation Rooms".
The research team conducted a prospective study that
included three interventions: 1) the use of fluorescent markers applied to
high-touch surfaces in patient rooms to provide monitoring and feedback on
thoroughness of cleaning; 2) utilization of an automated ultraviolet (UV)
radiation device as a complementary disinfection strategy used after cleaning;
and 3) an enhanced disinfection process composed of a dedicated daily
disinfection team and a process requiring supervisory assessment and clearance
of terminally-cleaned C. difficile infected rooms. The study was designed in
such a fashion that each strategy built on the previous one.
included three interventions: 1) the use of fluorescent markers applied to
high-touch surfaces in patient rooms to provide monitoring and feedback on
thoroughness of cleaning; 2) utilization of an automated ultraviolet (UV)
radiation device as a complementary disinfection strategy used after cleaning;
and 3) an enhanced disinfection process composed of a dedicated daily
disinfection team and a process requiring supervisory assessment and clearance
of terminally-cleaned C. difficile infected rooms. The study was designed in
such a fashion that each strategy built on the previous one.
In order to determine the effectiveness of the
interventions, environmental cultures were obtained from rooms contaminated
with C. difficile after cleaning and disinfection. The first intervention using fluorescent markers saw modest improvement in
the disinfection of high-touch surfaces over traditional cleaning practices (57
percent versus 67 percent). When UV devices were introduced in the second
intervention there was a further reduction in the percentage of positive
cultures, but C. difficile still was present in 35 percent of rooms.
However, the impact from implementing an enhanced cleaning and disinfection
team dramatically improved the outcome by reducing positive cultures to 7
percent!
interventions, environmental cultures were obtained from rooms contaminated
with C. difficile after cleaning and disinfection. The first intervention using fluorescent markers saw modest improvement in
the disinfection of high-touch surfaces over traditional cleaning practices (57
percent versus 67 percent). When UV devices were introduced in the second
intervention there was a further reduction in the percentage of positive
cultures, but C. difficile still was present in 35 percent of rooms.
However, the impact from implementing an enhanced cleaning and disinfection
team dramatically improved the outcome by reducing positive cultures to 7
percent!
What?! Did I just
read that improving cleaning worked better than implementing a new fangled
gizmo that we were hoping would be the answer to all of our environmental
hygiene problems?
read that improving cleaning worked better than implementing a new fangled
gizmo that we were hoping would be the answer to all of our environmental
hygiene problems?
Yup! As the study
concluded "Ultimately, disinfection was dramatically improved through
formation of a dedicated daily disinfection team and implementation of a
standardized process for clearing CDI rooms."
concluded "Ultimately, disinfection was dramatically improved through
formation of a dedicated daily disinfection team and implementation of a
standardized process for clearing CDI rooms."
I still look forward to walking the AHE Exhibitor hall
and picking up the materials on all of the latest and greatest products, but I
will certainly make sure I take the time to wade through the noise of what I
heard from the sales reps to make my own informed decision on what I think is
the latest and greatest advancement to environmental hygiene. I hope for those of you reading this blog,
you'll go back and take a look at what your environmental services team is
doing. Perhaps you already have your
knight in shining armour, he may need some polishing but perhaps you've had the
answer to your environmental hygiene problems under your roof the entire
time. Let's go back to basics and
remember that cleaning and disinfection does and can work. We just need to support our environmental
services staff and promote them for the heroes they really are!
and picking up the materials on all of the latest and greatest products, but I
will certainly make sure I take the time to wade through the noise of what I
heard from the sales reps to make my own informed decision on what I think is
the latest and greatest advancement to environmental hygiene. I hope for those of you reading this blog,
you'll go back and take a look at what your environmental services team is
doing. Perhaps you already have your
knight in shining armour, he may need some polishing but perhaps you've had the
answer to your environmental hygiene problems under your roof the entire
time. Let's go back to basics and
remember that cleaning and disinfection does and can work. We just need to support our environmental
services staff and promote them for the heroes they really are!
Bugging Off!
Nicole
