H
igh-tech cleaning
devices such as UV
lights and hydrogen
peroxide misting
machines aren't new
to surgery. Facilities have used these
products for years. But the effects of
COVID-19 brought these devices to the
forefront and moved whole room disin-
fection closer to the standard of care.
Experts say it's important to supple-
ment manual cleaning with high-tech
systems, not only because they work,
but also because staff and patients feel
safer when they're used. Below, a cou-
ple environmental services directors
dish on whole room cleaning technolo-
gies that help keep ORs COVID-free.
UV lights
This disinfection method uses short-
wavelength ultraviolet (ultraviolet C or
UV-C) light to kill or inactivate
microorganisms by destroying nucleic
acids and disrupting their DNA, leav-
ing them unable to perform vital cellu-
lar functions. "You have to calculate
through dose verification cards or UV
light meters to determine the run time
for a certain area," says Matthew
Patterson, system director of environmental servic-
es for St. Elizabeth Healthcare in Edgewood, Ky.
"We use this on all isolations and terminal and cycle
cleaning."
His team utilizes small UV light wands after the
standard cleaning of surfaces. They also use a large
UV light kit to sanitize entire rooms, which takes
about 15 minutes for a standard OR. Before COVID
hit, Mr. Patterson already had 10 UV light systems in
his disinfection arsenal. Thanks to the pandemic,
however, he's more than doubled that number, which
is now up to 25. Mr. Patterson also installed UV lights
on keyboards and at nurses' stations, one of the dirti-
est areas in the entire hospital. "In my opinion, the
most effective disinfection tool is UV light," he says.
"However, they do require the OR to be empty when
they are in use. They are expensive, too; the cheapest
one I have found is around $25,000," he says.
Hydrogen peroxide vapor
Hydrogen peroxide systems — also referred to by
environmental services professionals as "foggers"
1 6 • S U P P L E M E N T
T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1
Making the Case for Whole Room Disinfection
Supplement manual cleaning with high-tech
solutions to ensure ORs are sterile and sanitized.
Danielle Bouchat-Friedman | Associate Editor
LIGHT THE WAY UV lights use short-wavelength ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms by destroying nucleic
acids and disrupting their DNA.
Matthew
Patterson
