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INFECTION PREVENTION
provide the expected antimicrobial activity when used.
7. When using ultraviolet (UV) light for surface disinfection, you can skip the step of
cleaning the room first because UV sterilizes all surfaces.
a. true
b. false
b. false. UV light as a method of surface disinfection originated in the food surface industry, and the benefits of its application have become apparent to the
healthcare industry in recent years. UV light offers "reliable biocidal activity
against a wide range of pathogens," the ability to decontaminate surfaces and
equipment, no need to disable the HVAC system or to seal the room, no
potential for residue and low acquisition costs.5
One study found that 30 minutes was an adequate exposure time to inactivate gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial spores and fungi to the order
of 4 logs, when UV light was used from a distance of 8 feet.6 (In fact, even
indirect UV light results in meaningful bacteria reduction.7) According to Dr.
Rutala, UV light kills 99.9% of vegetative bacteria within 15 minutes and
99.84% of C. difficile spores within 50 minutes.5
As such, the use of UV light on surfaces is best left to terminal cleaning, particularly given the quick turnover times necessary in outpatient surgical facilities. But don't discount the importance of terminal cleaning, nor the effect
using UV can have on this task. Dr. Rutala has noted that "mean proportion of
surfaces disinfected at terminal cleaning is less than 50%" and that the lack of
full effectiveness of products, combined with the ease of inserting human
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O U T PAT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | O C T O B E R 2012
