time for proper disinfection. Some take 2 min-
utes, while others take as long as 10 minutes.
• Disinfect every surface, including all
wheels and casters and every nook of every
vent.
• Validate that the work has been effective
before releasing the room. Tools such as
adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biolumines-
cence can rapidly assess the level of cleanli-
ness of disinfected surfaces.
• Ensure that environmental services work-
ers are properly educated about the transmis-
sion of disease, properly trained, equipped
and afforded the necessary time to complete
the job at hand.
Seeing the light
Our terminal cleaning crew is diligent about
disinfecting every surface, but no terminal
clean is immune to human error. To com-
pound the challenge, many bacteria are highly
resistant to cleaning agents and can survive
on surfaces for months. For example, C. diff
spores can live on surfaces for 70 to 90 days.
This is where more specialized weapons come
into play.
Our current terminal-cleaning protocol
began as a call for more enhanced infection-
control practices throughout our hospital. Our
aim was to reduce HAIs — and the costs asso-
J U L Y 2 0 1 7 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y. N E T • 7 3
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