Abstract Recent scientific literature suggests that portable steam vapor systems are capable of rapid, chemical-free surface disinfection in controlled laboratory studies. This study evaluated the efficacy of a portable steam vapor system in a hospital setting. Methods The study was carried out in 8 occupied …
This study evaluated the use of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) room disinfection by sampling frequently touched surfaces in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolation rooms. The PX-UV system showed a statistically significant reduction in microbial load and eliminated VRE on sampled surfaces when using a 12-minute multiposition treatment …
For many years I have been teaching a course on cleanroom design, operations, and maintenance to classes chiefly composed of professionals from the pharmaceutical industry. At the beginning of the curriculum that deals with maintaining a cleanroom, I present a slide that states: “Almost all …
Researchers at the University of New South Wales are developing new coatings they hope will be used for self-cleaning surfaces in hospitals and the home. Led by Professor Rose Amal and Professor Michael Brungs of the ARC Centre for Functional Nanomaterials, a research team is …
Abstract ATP bioluminescence is being applied in hospitals to measure surface contamination. We compared commercial luminometers for detecting the number of Staphylococcus aureus associated with surfaces. The data showed that the ATP bioluminescence methods tested were not robust enough to generate quantitative data on …
Executive Summary Norovirus gastroenteritis infections and outbreaks have been increasingly described and reported in both non-healthcare and healthcare settings during the past several years. In response, several states have developed guidelines to assist both healthcare institutions and communities on preventing the transmission of norovirus infections …
Background Admission to intensive care unit rooms previously occupied by carriers of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) or vancomycin-resistant enteroccoci (VRE) had been found to confer a 40% increased risk of acquisition, presumably through environmental contamination. Subsequently, a cleaning intervention was shown to reduce MRSA …
ABSTRACT The existing literature contains strong evidence that characteristics of buildings and indoor environments significantly influence rates of respiratory disease, allergy and asthma symptoms, sick building symptoms, and worker performance. Theoretical considerations, and limited empirical data, suggest that existing technologies and procedures can improve indoor …
As many authors have previously emphasized, cleaning and sanitization (or disinfection) of surfaces are separate processes that need to be carried out in separate steps. But within the cleaning process there also needs to be a separation between the application of cleaning solutions containing detergents …
Abstract Hard, nonporous environmental surfaces in health care settings are now receiving due recognition for their role in the spread of several types of nosocomial pathogens. The corresponding increase in the means to decontaminate such surfaces to interrupt the spread of infections is leading …