Major article
Effectiveness of ultraviolet devices and hydrogen peroxide systems for terminal room decontamination: Focus on clinical trials

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajic.2015.11.015Get rights and content

Over the last decade, substantial scientific evidence has accumulated that indicates contamination of environmental surfaces in hospital rooms plays an important role in the transmission of key health care–associated pathogens (eg, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, Clostridium difficile, Acinetobacter spp). For example, a patient admitted to a room previously occupied by a patient colonized or infected with one of these pathogens has a higher risk for acquiring one of these pathogens than a patient admitted to a room whose previous occupant was not colonized or infected. This risk is not surprising because multiple studies have demonstrated that surfaces in hospital rooms are poorly cleaned during terminal cleaning. To reduce surface contamination after terminal cleaning, no touch methods of room disinfection have been developed. This article will review the no touch methods, ultraviolet light devices, and hydrogen peroxide systems, with a focus on clinical trials which have used patient colonization or infection as an outcome.

Multiple studies have demonstrated that ultraviolet light devices and hydrogen peroxide systems have been shown to inactivate microbes experimentally plated on carrier materials and placed in hospital rooms and to decontaminate surfaces in hospital rooms naturally contaminated with multidrug-resistant pathogens. A growing number of clinical studies have demonstrated that ultraviolet devices and hydrogen peroxide systems when used for terminal disinfection can reduce colonization or health care–associated infections in patients admitted to these hospital rooms.

Key Words

Health care–associated infections
ultraviolet light
ultraviolet C
pulsed xenon
hydrogen peroxide systems
room decontamination
surface environment

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Funding/support: Supported by Epicenter (grant no. 5U54CK000164-05).

Publication of this article was supported by an educational grant from Clorox Healthcare, Sealed Air, and Tru-D. Content of this article was initiated and written by the authors with no input or financial support to the authors from Clorox Healthcare, Sealed Air, or Tru-D.

Conflicts of Interest: Dr Boyce is a consultant to Bioquell; Drs Boyce, Rutala, and Weber are consultants to Clorox.

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