Hospital Room

A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control outlined that using ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology eliminated up to 97.7 percent of pathogens in operating rooms (ORs). According to reports from Infection Control Today, the study examined a UV light technology that can be used for a range of healthcare settings.

The UV disinfection reportedly reaches multiple surfaces in seconds and all but eliminates human and product error. To be effective, the ultraviolet device should be deployed to surround equipment on all sides, with foldable partitions whose light hits five different surface points.

The study took "more than 3,000.microbiological samples following 100 different surgical cases in and around the ORs at three hospitals in the New York metropolitan area." It is believed to be the first of its kind.

In a separate study, researchers from UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland in Oakland, California, presented data demonstrating similar efficacy of ultraviolet disinfection in patient rooms.

That study showed that a UV system as an adjunct to standard terminal cleaning in patient rooms at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland reduced levels of environmental pathogens recovered from high-touch surfaces by 94.5 percent, from 116.6 colony forming units (CFU) before cleaning, to 6.37 CFU following standard terminal cleaning and treatment with UV. 

During the study, single occupancy patient rooms were tested for pathogens upon patient discharge at three points in time: before they were cleaned, after standard terminal cleaning and after the UV system was deployed for one or two five-minute cycles as an adjunct to standard terminal cleaning.