Becker's Clinical Quality & Infection Control

25 Executive Briefing Why Every Surface Matters: The Importance of Total Room Disinfection By Chuck Dunn, president and CEO of Tru-D SmartUVC I nfection prevention and control have been top-of-mind for hospital leaders for decades. As pathogens have evolved and mutated, resulting in antibiotic-resistant strains, we are now in the age of superbugs. This new era has forced hospitals to modify and strengthen their cleaning strategies in an effort to keep their staff and patients safe and healthy. However, with the more recent influx of multidrug-resistant organisms such as Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, the need to reduce the incidences of these deadly pathogens has been elevated. To address these growing concerns, many hospitals and operating rooms are turning to no-touch ultraviolet disinfection robots to add enhanced cleaning methodologies and are seeing incredible reductions in infection rates. When comparing various UV techniques, it is important to understand that not all UV offerings eliminate human error in cleaning strategies. Only no-touch disinfection units that measure dose ensure deadly germs are eradicated. Once a hospital or environmental services staff member cleans a room using traditional methods, UV robots are brought in to "finish the job." However, some robots provide partial room disinfec- tion. Why invest in enhanced room disinfection if you cannot guarantee total room disinfection? Tru-D SmartUVC, short for total room ultraviolet disinfection, is the only device of its kind that ensures 99.9 percent efficacy in eradicating germs using its patented technology, making it the most studied device of its kind and the gold standard in the UV disinfection space. If it's not smart, it's not a robot While many UV disinfection units use similar UV-C light, Tru-D is the only robot of its kind with patented Sensor360 technolo- gy. Tru-D's eight sensors analyze a room, including size, shape and contents, to administer the proper germicidal dose of UV light to eliminate germs in the entire space, including shad- owed areas. Sensor360 eliminates the guesswork, ensuring each room receives the exact dose of UV light needed to disin- fect all areas. "The Sensor360 technology sets Tru-D apart from its competitors," said Greg Rosenberger, hospitality services director of Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Fla. "Rather than estimating the necessary UV dose or moving a unit to multiple placements in a room, Tru-D is able to analyze a space and provide a measured, lethal dose of UV light to provide total room disinfection from a single cycle in a single location." In addition to Tru-D's Sensor360 technology, Tru-D also features iTru-D, an application that tracks utilization and simultaneously uploads the information to Tru-D's web portal, providing instant access to real-time usage of the robot. Its intuitive controller allows for the ultimate in ease of use and documentation of the disinfection process. While staff are disinfecting with Tru-D, administrators can view usage data through concise graphics and exportable spreadsheets. iTru-D provides visual information, assuring hospital staff that a room has been properly disinfected. The portal also allows Tru-D to evaluate unnecessary idle time and work with hospitals to use the robot most efficiently. Through the utilization data provid- ed, hospitals can correlate Tru-D's effectiveness in relation to infection rates. "iTru-D makes it easy for our staff to analyze real-time data on the cleanliness of our patient rooms," said Mr. Rosenberger. "The ability to track cycles helps us improve our work flow and efficiencies." With Sensor360 and iTru-D, Tru-D is a proven "smart" addition to your cleaning team and protocols that can help hospitals and ORs proactively halt the spread of infectious diseases. Total room vs. partial room disinfection As the market that Tru-D established continues to grow, new players have entered the space. However, many lack the re- search and development process that enables Tru-D to provide consistent outcomes. Tru-D is the trusted choice for healthcare professionals because of its 99.9 percent efficacy that can only be accomplished through its method of UV-C dose measure- ment. Third-party studies show that Tru-D is proven to disinfect an entire room from a single location. This is accomplished by measuring the proper dose of UV energy that reaches the walls and is reflected back to the center of the room. Other UV offerings disinfect only line-of-sight surfaces very "The Sensor360 technology sets Tru-D apart from its competitors." — Greg Rosenberger, Sarasota Memorial Hos- pital hospitality services director Sponsored by:

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