Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/821337
70 Executive Briefing HCAHPS. As a result, aesthetic issues noticed by patients, like residue — anything left behind on surfaces after the cleaning or disinfecting product dries — can become problematic. All commercially available cleaning and disinfecting products can leave residue on surfaces. Salt residue, which without rins- ing, may be left behind on surfaces treated with bleach-based disinfectants, is often the most visible. While healthcare pro- fessionals may recognize salt residue as a sign that surfaces have been disinfected with bleach and are less likely to harbor pathogens, to the layperson, visible residue may suggest the surface is dirty. The other key compatibility challenge is corrosion, which re- fers to actual damage to surfaces and equipment. This is some- times a concern when using powerful sporicidal disinfectants, because the oxidizing action which makes them so effective against microorganisms can also impact surfaces. Damage caused by corrosion can lead to costly repairs or replace- ments and also has safety implications. Corrosion can cause pitting, or otherwise compromise the integrity of healthcare surfaces, increasing the risk of contamination and limiting the efficacy of treatment with manual surface disinfectants. Trade-Offs Leave Facilities Vulnerable While focused on reducing HAI rates, healthcare facilities also face significant pressure to minimize compatibility issues. From an administrative perspective, hospitals must safeguard financial investments in facility maintenance and expensive medical equipment. On the front lines, clinical staff and EVS workers are often the first blamed for complaints about corro- sion or residue. Torn between the disinfectants they need to use to quickly kill dangerous pathogens and products that are easier to use, facilities may make risky trade-offs to manage these pressures. For example, hospitals might opt to trade down from a spori- cidal product with broad-spectrum microefficacy and short contact times to weaker disinfectants like quats, which many assume can do a "good enough" job to justify the trade-off for better aesthetics. In such a scenario, corrosion and residue might be limited, but at the expense of efficacy, potentially leaving patients vulnerable to dangerous bacteria like Clos- tridium difficile (C. difficile). Nearly 500,000 Americans suffer from C. difficile infections every year and almost 30,000 die as a result. 6 Unlike a sporicidal disinfectant, quat products do not kill C. difficile spores. Eliminating Trade-Offs: Finding the Right Disinfectant There are a few key characteristics worth considering in select- ing the ideal disinfectant for your facility: 1. Efficacy: Your disinfectant should have a wide antimicro- bial spectrum, including kill claims for the pathogens that commonly cause HAIs and outbreaks. Long trusted for their broad-spectrum disinfection efficacy and utility in C. difficile prevention protocols, Clorox Healthcare® Bleach Germicidal Wipes are now EPA-registered to kill 58 microorganisms in three minutes or less. 2. Compatibility: Look for products with broad surface com- patibility or those that are specially formulated for compati- bility with surfaces commonly found in healthcare settings. Through the Clorox Healthcare Compatible™ program, Clo- rox Healthcare works with medical equipment manufacturers to evaluate and test compatibility across its portfolio of disin- fectants on common surfaces and equipment. 3. Contact time: Products with short contact times (e.g., 30 seconds to three minutes) help ensure faster room turnover and compliance. Wet-contact time is another critical compo- nent; if the product evaporates from the surface before the kill time is achieved, it may not be effective. The best disinfecting products have a wet-contact time greater than or equal to kill times listed on their label. 4. Ease of use and aesthetics: When products are easy to use, there is less chance for error. Products should be effective in the presence of organic matter, have an acceptable odor pro- file, be shelf-stable, soluble in water and have simple direc- tions for use. Ideal products should clean and disinfect in one step and be available in multiple forms with low-residue so no extra wiping step is required. Other disinfectant selection factors include training and sup- port offered by the manufacturer, cost and standardization. The best suppliers can help you identify the right products to meet your facility's unique needs and will offer onsite training and ongoing education to help support implementation. No Compromising on Compatibility Clorox Healthcare offers the most robust portfolio of EPA-reg- istered surface cleaners and disinfectants, in addition to UV technology, to provide healthcare facilities with a comprehen- sive approach to environmental hygiene for HAI prevention. Long trusted as a leader in disinfectant efficacy, Clorox Health- care also understands the challenges facilities face in balanc- ing the need to protect patients from dangerous pathogens and safeguard surfaces and costly equipment from damage. We work closely with experts in the field and our customers on the ground to ensure product development is inspired and informed by their evolving needs. Clorox Healthcare is committed to providing the efficacy, compatibility and aesthetics healthcare facilities need. Begin- ning with the launch of Clorox Healthcare® Fuzion™ Cleaner Disinfectant, a new type of bleach that combines disinfecting efficacy against tough-to-kill pathogens like C. difficile with the aesthetics required for broad use throughout the facility, we are leading a push to eliminate the need to make tradeoffs between efficacy and surface compatibility that will include enhancing trusted formulations to provide the same great "While focused on reducing HAI rates, healthcare facilities also face significant pressure to minimize compatibility issues. " — Danielle Augustin-Glenn, PhD, Research Scientist, Clorox Healthcare