INFECTION PREVENTION & CONTROL
towards safer, quicker, and more effective disinfectants. Alternative formulations with Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) as the active ingredient offer numerous advantages with few limitations.2 The key requirement from any disinfectant in healthcare settings is efficacy – to prevent the introduction of potentially harmful pathogens and infections. These can range from hospital associated infections such as MRSA and C. difficile, to infections common in any setting, such as influenza and norovirus. Effective surface disinfection is especially important in healthcare, because patients are likely to be frail and vulnerable. It is important to select disinfectants capable of killing pathogens of concern. Problem pathogens, such as norovirus and C. difficile, might not be killed by conventional disinfectants. Contact times must be realistically short so that any pathogens are killed before the surface dries. Disinfectants with long contact times may require reapplication to ensure pathogens are killed. This can be impractical, time-consuming, and inefficient.
Disinfectants containing AHP are highly effective against a wide range of viruses, spores, yeasts, and fungi found in healthcare, including C. difficile, MRSA, norovirus, E. coli, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. This broad-spectrum efficacy has been tested to the latest EN standards, and submitted into the Biocidal Products Regulations (BPR) – a standard which all actives and disinfectants need to pass. AHP simplifies processes because just one product is needed - using numerous alternative products to provide the same level of performance adds unwanted complexity.
Disinfectants with AHP can be supplied in ready-to-use and ultra-concentrate formats. Depending on the specific formulation, these are effective against viruses, spores (including C. difficile), yeasts, and fungi, in one minute or less, meeting demand for highly effective
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Traditional products containing chlorine are generally not as effective on spores, and require significantly longer contact times
products with shorter contact or dwell times.
Traditional products containing chlorine are generally not as effective on spores, and require significantly longer contact times. Products containing AHP have been tested and shown to kill viruses such as norovirus in up to 30 seconds, and the most persistent spores such as C. difficile in one minute. Chlorine-based products can take up to 30 minutes. Aside from any productivity issues, they are only effective while wet, which means efficacy will be lost if they dry within the specified contact time. Under normal conditions the much shorter contact times of AHP products are usually passed before they have dried. Products containing AHP offer additional benefits that simplify day-to- day cleaning operations. With more cleaning taking place while patients are present, processes must be completed safely and efficiently, so as not to create an unpleasant environment or put patients at risk.
AHP degrades to oxygen and water alone shortly after use, which helps make formulations containing it safer to use. Chlorine-based products are suspected of aggravating asthma and other respiratory problems, and forming chlorine compounds in the atmosphere. Another consideration is that some products containing AHP have no safety classification, whereas chlorine-based products usually carry a hazard symbol. Breaking down to water and oxygen
alone means products with AHP leave little or no residue on surfaces, helping to promote the appearance of the area being cleaned. They can be used safely on a wider range of surfaces, including wool and other fabrics, with reduced risk of damage. Chlorine-based products, on the other hand, will corrode or degrade many surfaces with regular or prolonged use. Nor can they be used as part of a microfibre system, because they damage the material, severely restricting their disinfection potency.
The easier a product is to use, the greater the chance of cleaning compliance. Products should be accompanied by training aids to support members of diverse cleaning teams. Despite proper training, there are still cleaning and disinfection challenges that may arise. It is therefore important to measure performance to determine if additional training is necessary. The variety of disinfectants has grown in recent years, as manufacturers have developed solutions for specific daily and problem-solving tasks. It is therefore important to match the product to the specific application. This optimises cleaning performance, and reduces inefficiencies, poor results, and the need for repeat cleaning. Reputable manufacturers will provide advice on the most suitable products from their ranges to use in every situation. They should also be able to supply the documentation and evidence, with independent test data to support product claims.
Using UVC light
While disinfectants offer healthcare cleaning professionals effective solutions in many situations, there are times when additional measures are necessary or desirable. The latest technology to emerge uses powerful UVC light to disinfect surfaces quickly and effectively.3
This
represents a new hands-, chemical-, and fume-free way to implement safer disinfection. It is particularly useful for so- called adjunct cleaning, which is employed to complement or supplement existing processes, and provide additional assurance that frequent-touch and hard- to-clean surfaces have been disinfected. Dr Deverick Anderson published a paper in 2017 that found that using UVC alongside traditional disinfectants reduced HAIs by 33%.4
Robust infection control policies are vital in hospitals and other healthcare facilities. 92 Health Estate Journal October 2019
The infection-killing properties of UVC have been known for some years, and there are at least 40 scientific studies measuring either its biocidal effect on microorganisms, or the impact on HAI rates. UVC kills pathogens by destroying the nucleic acids in their DNA. This disrupts the normal function of the cells, which means they die. Any surface directly exposed to a sufficient amount of UVC will be disinfected. One of the biggest
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