Single-use plastic pens are commonly used to mark surgical sites on the skin of patients. In laboratory testing, an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light device was effective for decontamination of marking pens with plastic caps designed to allow transmission of UV-C. Decontamination of marking pens could reduce plastic and carbon footprints.

In laboratory testing, a novel hydrogen peroxide gas plasma endoscope sterilizer consistently reduced vegetative organisms, but not bacterial spores, to undetectable levels in the presence of high organism load (≥6.5 log10) and organic material and salts. These findings highlight the importance of meticulous cleaning of endoscopes prior to sterilization.

Automated dispensers that dilute concentrated disinfectants with water are commonly used in healthcare facilities. In a point-prevalence product evaluation, 9 of 10 (90%) hospitals using dilutable disinfectants had 1 or more malfunctioning dispensers. Twenty-nine of 107 (27.1%) systems dispensed product with lower-than-expected concentrations, including 15 (14.0%) with no detectable disinfectant.

A novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology providing automated delivery of far UV-C only when people are not present reduced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a patient room and equipment room. The safety feature that discontinues far UV-C output when people are detected was effective in preventing far UV-C exposure.

A wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C light device used for continuous air and surface decontamination in a dental office reduced aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus on steel disks by >3 log10 in 2 hours in unshaded areas in a procedure room. Far ultraviolet-C delivery was substantially reduced in shaded areas.

Contaminated surfaces may be a source of transmission for the globally emerging pathogen, Candida auris. Because floors may be a source of C. auris contamination on hands, strategies for inactivating or removing C. auris from floors were investigated. A sporicidal disinfectant and UV-C were most effective in inactivating C. auris on floors.

In laboratory testing, a mobile enclosed disinfection cabinet using ultraviolet-C light and aerosolized hydrogen peroxide was effective for disinfection of hard and soft surfaces. The addition of aerosolized hydrogen peroxide to ultraviolet-C light resulted in improved disinfection of soft surfaces and Clostridioides difficile spores.

A wall-mounted, far-ultraviolet-C light technology reduced aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 by >3 log10 plaque-forming units within 30 minutes. Vegetative bacterial pathogens on steel disk carriers in the center of the room were reduced by >3 log10 after 45 minutes of exposure, but Candida auris and Clostridioides difficile spores were not.

We tested the effectiveness of 23 disinfectants used in healthcare facilities against isolates from the 4 major clades of Candida auris. Sporicidal disinfectants were consistently effective, whereas quaternary-ammonium disinfectants had limited activity. Quaternary-ammonium–alcohol and hydrogen-peroxide–based disinfectants varied in effectiveness against C. auris.

We developed a do-it-yourself test protocol using commercial Bacillus atrophaeus spores to assess the efficacy of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light room-decontamination devices. Overall, 4 UV-C devices reduced B. atrophaeus by ≥3 log10 colony-forming units in 10 minutes, whereas a smaller device required 60 minutes. Of 10 in-use devices, only 1 was ineffective.

Contaminated shoes are a potential vector for dissemination of healthcare-associated pathogens. We demonstrated that healthcare personnel walking into patient rooms frequently transferred pathogens from their shoes to the floor. An 8-second treatment of shoes with a UV-C decontamination device significantly reduced the frequency of transfer of vegetative bacterial pathogens.

In a randomized trial, patients wearing slippers whenever out of bed transferred bacteriophage MS2 from hospital room floors to patients and surfaces significantly less often than controls not provided with slippers. Wearing slippers could provide a simple means to reduce the risk for acquisition of healthcare-associated pathogens from contaminated floors.

Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT04935892

In a randomized trial, adjunctive ultraviolet-C light treatment with a room decontamination device and sodium hypochlorite delivered via an electrostatic sprayer were similarly effective in significantly reducing residual healthcare-associated pathogen contamination on floors and high-touch surfaces after manual cleaning and disinfection. Less time until the room was ready to be occupied by another patient was required for electrostatic spraying.