Utilizing Ultraviolet Light Disinfection in the ICU, Operating Rooms, and Patient Rooms

 Contamination control in the healthcare industry is a constant and prevalent problem. Hospital acquired infections (HAIs) have increased 36% over the past two decades although these infections are often preventable. Hospital settings do not provide an ideal situation for proper cleaning.  With many rooms having a short turnaround time between patients, it is very difficult to contact every surface in order to obtain a sufficient kill. One way for infection prevention and control programs to perform a quick, high-level disinfection is through the use of ultraviolet light. UV-C light provides a dry, chemical-free, and residue-free method of disinfection effective against bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores. Spores like C. diff, MRSA, and Multi Drug Resistant Organisms can all be eliminated utilizing ultraviolet light. Additionally, UV-C has been validated to deactivate the SARS-CoV-2 virus.  Adding in a 5-minute UV treatment at the end of the normal cleaning and housekeeping routine can help reduce the risk of HAIs without a major change in operations.

There are three main sources of contamination concern within a hospital, the intensive care unit, operating rooms, and patient rooms. Studies determined that the most common HAIs may survive on surfaces for months and become a continuous source of transmission if not properly treated. Patient rooms can be quickly and efficiently disinfected with ultraviolet light between patients, after a high-risk patient occupancy, or periodically depending on the facility's needs. Surgical centers are extremely vulnerable places for transmission of infection. Operating rooms can be disinfected between surgeries or at the end of the day, depending on the schedule and needs of the facility. Environmental contamination may pose an even greater challenge in the ICU, where patients are critically ill with a higher risk level for infection. The contamination of surfaces in the ICU has been identified in outbreaks and cross-transmission of pathogens among critically ill patients.

Room disinfection systems like the Torch and Torch+ can be placed inside the patient rooms and surgical suites, killing any exposed harmful organisms after a few minutes. Find a space in the ICU and NICU for tabletop chambers like the Flashbox and Flashbox-mini which can disinfect masks, shared supplies, electronics, badges, and phones, some of the most contaminated things we encounter, in one minute or less. Built-in UV-C light fixtures like the Flashbar can also be implemented in the operating rooms over surgical tables and patient rooms over the beds. This provides the easy option of turning on the lights when the spaces are empty without needing to move extra equipment into the room on a daily basis, if not multiple times per day. For continuous air disinfection, The
Torch-Aire Recessed can be mounted in the ceiling safely operating throughout the day, even with patients and staff in the room.

Ultraviolet light disinfection provides a way for small items, as well as full rooms to be fully disinfected in the matter of minutes. It provides a low cost, simple approach to address areas often unable to be properly cleaned otherwise. ClorDiSys Solutions’ suite of products is the fast, chemical-free, easy-to-operate, and most effective way to disinfect your operating and patient rooms.