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Decontamination of Targeted Pathogens from Patient Rooms Using an Automated Ultraviolet-C-Emitting Device

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Deverick J. Anderson ,
Maria F. Gergen ,
Emily Smathers ,
Daniel J. Sexton ,
Luke F. Chen ,
David J. Weber  and
William A. Rutala
Deverick J. Anderson*
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Maria F. Gergen
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Emily Smathers
Affiliation:
Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Daniel J. Sexton
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
Luke F. Chen
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
David J. Weber
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
William A. Rutala
Affiliation:
Department of Hospital Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Health Care, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
*
DUMC Box 102359, Durham, NC 27110 (dja@duke.edu)
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Abstract

Objective.

To determine the effectiveness of an automated ultraviolet-C (UV-C) emitter against vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter spp. in patient rooms.

Design.

Prospective cohort study.

Setting.

Two tertiary care hospitals.

Participants.

Convenience sample of 39 patient rooms from which a patient infected or colonized with 1 of the 3 targeted pathogens had been discharged.

Intervention.

Environmental sites were cultured before and after use of an automated UV-C-emitting device in targeted rooms but before standard terminal room disinfection by environmental services.

Results.

In total, 142 samples were obtained from 27 rooms of patients who were colonized or infected with VRE, 77 samples were obtained from 10 rooms of patients with C. difficile infection, and 10 samples were obtained from 2 rooms of patients with infections due to Acinetobacter. Use of an automated UV-C-emitting device led to a significant decrease in the total number of colony-forming units (CFUs) of any type of organism (1.07 log10 reduction; P < .0001), CFUs of target pathogens (1.35 log10 reduction; P < .0001), VRE CFUs (1.68 log10 reduction; P < .0001), and C. difficile CFUs (1.16 log10 reduction; P < .0001). CFUs of Acinetobacter also decreased (1.71 log10 reduction), but the trend was not statistically significant P = .25). CFUs were reduced at all 9 of the environmental sites tested. Reductions similarly occurred in direct and indirect line of sight.

Conclusions.

Our data confirm that automated UV-C-emitting devices can decrease the bioburden of important pathogens in real-world settings such as hospital rooms.

Type
Original Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 34 , Issue 5: Special Topic Issue: The Role of the Environment in Infection Prevention , May 2013 , pp. 466 - 471
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2013

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