Background
Multiple-drug-resistant organisms (MDROs) and Clostridium difficile (CD) are significant problems in health care. Evidence suggests that these organisms
are transmitted to patients by the contaminated environment.
Methods
This is a retrospective study of the implementation of ultraviolet environmental disinfection
(UVD) following discharge cleaning of contact precautions rooms and other high-risk
areas at Westchester Medical Center, a 643-bed tertiary care academic medical center.
Incidence rates of hospital-acquired MDROs plus CD before and during the UVD use were
evaluated using rate ratios and piecewise regression.
Results
The average time per UVD was 51 minutes, and machines were in use 30% of available
time. UVD was used 11,389 times; 3,833 (34%) of uses were for contact precautions
discharges. UVD was completed for 76% of contact precautions discharges. There was
a significant 20% decrease in hospital-acquired MDRO plus CD rates during the 22-month
UVD period compared with the 30-month pre-UVD period (2.14 cases/1,000 patient-days
vs 2.67 cases per 1,000 patient-days, respectively; rate ratio, 0.80; 95% confidence
interval: 0.73-0.88, P < .001).
Conclusion
During the time period UVD was in use, there was a significant decrease in overall
hospital-acquired MDRO plus CD in spite of missing 24% of opportunities to disinfect
contact precautions rooms. This technology was feasible to use in our acute care setting
and appeared to have a beneficial effect.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Conflicts of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
