326705
Limitations of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) in hospital room disinfection
Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Shawn Gibbs, PhD, MBA, CIH,
College of Public Health, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Philip Smith, MD,
Internal Medicine Section of Infectious Disease, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
John-Martin Lowe, PhD, MS,
College of Public Health, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Background: The estimated 1.7 million hospital acquired infections (HAI) and consequential 99,000 HAI-related deaths every year in the United States have necessitated reassessment of infection control practice and development of environmental disinfection technologies. Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) has emerged as a decontamination method proven successful in inactivating environmental pathogenic microorganisms, but evidence describing the parameters of UVGI environmental disinfection efficacy in the complex clinical setting is limited. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of UVGI in disinfecting a hospital room systematically contaminated with samples of HAI-related bacterial strains. Methods: Sterile sampling coupons replicating common hospital room surfaces (e.g. bed rail, carpet, keyboard, etc.) were contaminated across a 100 cm2 section with drops of organism at concentrations >106 of Acinetobacter baumannii, Escherichia coli, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, and Mycobacterium smegmatis. Each sampling coupon was distributed throughout designated locations in a simulated hospital room. A UVGI generator, positioned in the center of the room, completed a dosage-standardized UV-treatment cycle measured by UV-sensors that mapped the room. Sampling coupons were swabbed and cultured to measure organism reduction. An adjacent simulated hospital room without the UVGI treatment was used as control. Results: Organism concentrations from UVGI inactivated directly exposed sampling coupons were compared to the untreated controls. Conclusions: UVGI was shown to effectively inactivate nosocomial pathogens within a hospital environment, potentially serving useful in development of hospital decontamination policy. Additional studies are necessary to explore accelerated UVGI disinfection technologies in a clinical environment.
Learning Areas:
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Environmental health sciences
Protection of the public in relation to communicable diseases including prevention or control
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Describe the parameters and limitations of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) in hospital room disinfection of environmental hospital acquired infection (HAI)-related bacterial strains.
Discuss ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) as a terminal hospital room disinfection technology in reducing environmental pathogenic microorganisms on various hospital room surfaces.
Keyword(s): Environmental Health, Pathogens
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a Masters of Public Health graduate student in the University of Nebraska Medical Center's College of Public health and a research assistant with the Nebraska Biocontainment Unit and Department of Environmental, Occupational & Agricultural Health. My research interests include environmental infection control and decontamination, occupational health and safety in caring for patients with highly infectious diseases, and emerging technologies in clinical environmental infection control.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
