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M AY 2 0 1 4 | S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P AT 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
violet light, aerosolized hydrogen peroxide, hydrogen peroxide vapor, cluster
ions and ozone gas — to target areas your staff might have missed. Finding the
right system ultimately comes down to balancing cost with the practical bene-
fits of attacking the pathogens prevalent in your facility.
Airborne aids
Jon Otter, PhD, a research
fellow at the Centre for
Clinical Infection and
Diagnostics at Kings
College in London, co-
authored a study pub-
lished in the Journal of
Hospital Infection
(
tinyurl.com/n9a56rc
) that
explores the differences
among several available technologies.
The report says aerosolized hydrogen peroxide (aHP) has been shown in clinical
studies to reduce Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
aureus contamination on hospital surfaces, but has not been proven to eradicate
pathogens in clinical practice. For example, notes the study, at least 1 positive C.
diff culture was collected from 20% of 15 and from 50% of 10 rooms studied after
an aHP process.
The technology is straightforward to use and relatively inexpensive, according
to the study, which notes room doors and vents must be sealed before running
disinfection cycles, which range from 2 hours in smaller rooms to 3 to 4 hours in
larger rooms. Dr. Otter's study says some research suggests the devices don't
achieve uniform distribution of the active agent because aHP is delivered
through a unidirectional nozzle and affected by gravity.
Hydrogen peroxide vapor systems send heated vapors of aqueous hydrogen
S U R F A C E D I S I N F E C T I O N
QUICK WIPE Whole room
surface disinfection goes
where sprays and wipes can't.
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