Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1122871
55 Executive Briefing Yet we know that after that daily cleaning, patient care activities continue to happen throughout the day, generating contamination that can create risk for the patient or contaminate the hands of healthcare staff. Because of this, surfaces may need to be addressed more than once a day. a. Identify patient care activities that create the highest level of environmental contamination. By assessing the level of environmental contamination created by standard patient care activities, it is possible to identify those which create the highest risk. Examples would include procedures involving feces or respiratory secretions, since these body fluids generally have high microorganism counts. Once these moments are identified, procedures and roles and responsibilities can be outlined to incorporate cleaning and disinfection into these activities, reducing contamination in the environment of care. b. Educate staff on moments of environmental disinfection. Similar to the World Health Organization's 5 Moments of Hand Hygiene, the TMED concept is designed to emphasize when cleaning and disinfection should be performed to minimize the risk of pathogen acquisition by the patient or on to the hands of staff. By educating staff on these moments, a programmatic approach can be developed to reduce the bio-load in the patient's environment between daily cleanings. c. Provide the proper products for successful implementation. To drive success, it is necessary to ensure that disinfectant cleaners are easily accessible when and where staff need them, typically at the point of care. Consideration should be given to the placement, ease of use, and the safety profile of the disinfectant to ensure that staff, visitors and patients are able to use them to reduce contamination, without the risk of irritation or inconvenience. Disposable, pre-wetted, non- hazardous (non-irritating to eyes, skin and respiratory tracts) wipes, mounted at the bedside or on portable patient care equipment are ideal. Educating staff members, visitors, and even patients, in the role of surfaces in pathogen transmission and encouraging their engagement in helping address the risk through hand hygiene and the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces can help improve outcomes. 3. Adding assurance at every discharge Manual cleaning may not always be enough. Experts agree that thorough cleaning and disinfection of environmental surfaces is an essential element of an effective infection prevention program; however, traditional manual cleaning and disinfection practices in hospitals are often suboptimal. Inconsistent manual cleaning processes, time pressure and lack of an auditing process can affect the efficacy of manual disinfection. Human error will always add risk to the manual disinfection process. Adjunct technologies, such as UV-C disinfection devices, have become a critical part of how healthcare settings control HAIs. Augmenting terminal cleans in patient rooms and operating rooms has proven effective in reducing the risk for HAIs. Numerous studies have shown that standard manual cleaning and disinfection of surfaces can reduce, but often does not eliminate, important pathogens such as Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Of 1,917 patient rooms cleaned using standard processes, nearly 25 percent still contained strains of MRSA, according to a 2014 study in BMJ Journals. This suggests hospitals cannot rely on manual cleaning alone to fully eradicate pathogens. Even more compelling is research that has shown that a patient entering a room where the previous occupant was colonized or infected with a multidrug- resistant organism has a significantly higher risk of acquiring that pathogen. There are numerous studies supporting the efficacy of UV-C in reducing the viability of a broad range of problematic pathogens, particularly antibiotic resistant strains. UV-C also covers surfaces wipes may miss, helping healthcare facilities achieve better cleaning outcomes. Because turnover time is so important to many facilities, cycle time is an important consideration when selecting a UV-C device. Other considerations are tied to the usability of the device – safety features, portability, ease-of use, and the ability to easily transport and store the devices so they are available when and where they are needed. All of these features also factor in to the return on invested capital — the more rooms that can be disinfected in a designated time frame, the higher the return. In many cases, due to capital and time requirements, UV-C disinfection is being limited to a small sampling of rooms; however, with newer technologies, cycle times and cost of use have been reduced, enabling UV-C to be used more broadly across facilities. This may also drive patient satisfaction by demonstrating a firm commitment to preventing infection. In summary, having a three-pronged approach can significantly reduce the potential risk associated in transmission. An effective and efficient manual cleaning program, coupled with the ability to address targeted moments, can help keep patients safe during their stay. Incorporation of manual disinfection followed by UV-C technology can ensure that healthcare facilities are creating a safe environment for the next patient, promoting safety and satisfaction for patients while curbing the financial burden of HAIs and lengthy patient stays. Diversey can help you assess your risk and recommend best practices to keep patients safer during their stay, while helping you improve turnover times, increase productivity and deliver improved outcomes. n Diversey has been, and always will be, a pioneer and facilitator for life. We constantly deliver revolutionary cleaning and hygiene technologies that provide total confidence to our customers across all of our global sectors. Diversey offers Solutions Designed for Healthcare™, a total solution for infection prevention, including resources to address emerging needs, facilitation of evidence-based cleaning and disinfection practices, and products which enhance patient safety and drive improved productivity while lowering the overall cost. We feel that each of these components is paramount to driving improved patient outcomes.Headquartered in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA, Diversey employs approximately 9,000 people globally, generating net sales of approximately $2.6 billion in 2017. For more information, visit www.diversey.com or follow us on social media. www.sdfhc.com https://www.facebook.com/diversey/ https://twitter.com/diversey