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O R
H Y G I E N E
"That would be more than the
unit itself. If we reduce just one
HAI, we show a return on our
investment."
A complement to
manual cleaning
Besides portable UV disinfection
systems, automated room sterilization technologies include
hydrogen peroxide vapor sterilization units. Neither is a replacement for manual room cleaning.
SPOT CHECK Cambridge Hospital environmental service team members Cecilia Pineda
Automated systems are not
and Francisco Cruz ready a UV light disinfection
meant to be used routinely
unit for use after a routine terminal clean.
between cases. Rather, they're
meant to complement a surgical facility's cleaning and disinfection
program, not to replace it.
After Geisinger's environmental service crew cleans a room using
traditional methods (read: elbow grease), they'll sometimes wheel the
UV system into the room to finish the job, killing germs on any surfaces they might have missed. "We did not change any of our cleaning
processes when we implemented this device," says Ms. Almquist. "It's
an extra added step in the cleaning process that ensures the safety of
our process."
Depending on the size of the OR, they typically run either 2 10-minute
or 2 15-minute cycles. Yes, most surgeons would not tolerate 20-minute
turnovers. But these machines aren't for use after every case. Infection
prevention authorities recommend their use primarily for terminal
cleaning, following standard manual cleaning practices. "It is more time,
D E C E M B E R 2013 | 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
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