According to Stephen Ashkin, the Ashkin Group, and the Pennsylvania Green Building Maintenance Manual: “Dr. Leonard Krilov with North Shore University Hospital – Cornell University Medical College … conducted [a study] at the Association for Children with Downs Syndrome School in Bellmore, New York [that]
“Log reduction” is a mathematical term (as is “log increase”) used to show the relative number of live microbes eliminated from a surface by disinfecting or cleaning. For example, a “5-log reduction” means lowering the number of microorganisms by 100,000-fold, that is, if a
Abstract Background/Objectives Despite isolation precautions and enhanced hand hygiene products, the transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens remains a major problem in a range of healthcare settings. Although not an independent factor, environmental contamination with these resilient pathogens is believed to play a significant role
A study which investigated germs collected on footwear, by Dr. Charles Gerba, microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona, and The Rockport® Company, found large numbers of bacteria both on the bottom and inside of shoes; averaging 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside
On the opening leaf of his seminal text on Ecology, Eugene Pleasants Odum wrote: Big fleas have little fleas Upon their backs to bite ’em, And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so, ad infinitum. This little Dutch proverb tells us that there is no
The process of hard surface disinfecting is an integral component of a comprehensive cleaning protocol. Its use and purpose is twofold: First, to lower the initial bioburden of a contaminated surface and render it “safe”, generally from a public health perspective. Secondly, as a cleaning
HEPA means High Efficiency Particle Arrestance. HEPA products remove 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns and greater in size. If you don’t have a good HEPA vacuum, the small, unseen particles are blown back out of the vacuum into the air. Sometimes you can smell them.
For thousands of years, man has been mystified by fireflies—about 1,900 species of nocturnal, glow-in-the-dark beetles. In fact, these bioluminescent insects have inspired poets and delighted children for centuries. It was theorized that their blinking light was used to attract mates and possibly fend off
Abstract In the UK, we continue to debate the importance of hospital cleaning in relation to increasing numbers of patients acquiring methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). However, there is little direct evidence for the effectiveness of cleaning because it has never been afforded scientific status. Hospital
This text addresses the basic principles and methods of sampling environmental surfaces and other environmental sources for microorganisms. 1. General Principles: Microbiologic Sampling of the Environment Before 1970, U.S. hospitals conducted regularly scheduled culturing of the air and environmental surfaces (e.g., floors, walls, and