Cover story – advertising feature


Flusher disinfectors and sluice room solutions


Simon Saulis, senior sales and product manager at Arjo UK, discusses the critical importance of robust sluice room procedure


One of the most critical operations in a healthcare facility is the safe and efficient disposal of human waste and the disinfection of associated equipment. Not only is there a risk of infection to residents from inadequate decontamination of reusable equipment1, 2


procedure to be avoided6 a global survey7


identified that up to 50 per cent of bedpans are emptied and cleaned manually. Of the bedpans manually cleaned:


but there is also a risk


to caregivers from handling and disposal of human waste.


Reducing the risk of infection and cross contamination At Arjo, we have the expertise to support healthcare facilities to reduce the risk of cross-infection and protect staff and residents from harm during this process. Residents with underlying conditions and living in communal environments are especially vulnerable to healthcare- associated infections, and their reliance on caregivers put these essential workers at high risk.3


n 17 per cent used water only. n 39 per cent used detergent. n 44 per cent used disinfectant.


The practice of emptying and cleaning of bedpans and urine bottles manually is labour-intensive,8


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ENVIRONMENT


Volume 7 Issue 8 September 2022 www.thecarehomeenvironment.com


Flusher disinfectors


and sluice room solutions Maplewood Court: luxury care in the Garden of England Care Show 2022 preview


Macerators not recommended,9


causes risk of contamination to the resident and caregiver, and is unlikely to remove all organic material.7, 8


In this care setting, infections


have been associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality, hospital readmission, extended hospital stay, antimicrobial resistance, and substantial pharmacological and healthcare expenses.4, 5


Risks associated with manual cleaning of bedpans


Managing the disposal of human waste is an essential aspect of healthcare delivery but appears to have little focus compared to other aspects of infection prevention and control strategies. Consequently, limited knowledge and understanding among caregivers6


contributes to poor practice in


excreta management. Despite being recognised as a risky


6


Sluice room set up and risk of cross contamination and transmission Without safe waste disposal, disinfection of associated items, and provision for hand hygiene, the sluice room can become the focal point for cross-transmission in care homes. Caregivers can be exposed to splashes and aerosols8


during manual


emptying of waste and cleaning of bedpans and urine bottles, which can lead to illness or cross-infection with residents. The sluice room should be designed with separate clean and dirty areas for associated activities, considering workflow, storage, hand washing, easy cleaning, and disinfection of all equipment and surfaces. There are two methods for the management and disposal of excreta: n Pulp bedpans and urinals disposed of in a macerator.


n Reusable bedpans and urinals which are either manually cleaned or reprocessed in a flusher disinfector.


After use, the single use bedpan and waste contents are placed directly into the macerator. Once macerated, the pulverised waste flows into the sewage system. While single-use equipment reduces the risk of cross contamination and is quick and easy to use, there are some disadvantages: n Large amounts of waste are produced that are discharged into the mains sewage system9


, which can lead to blocked pipes and wastewater overflows.


n Pulp containers can break during use. n Reusable bedpan holders still require decontamination after each use, potentially leading to facilities investing in both macerators and flusher disinfectors or having to manually clean the holders.


n High recurring investment costs for disposable bedpans, urinals, and vomit bowls.


n Significant storage space required for a large volume of boxes of disposable products.


n Labour time and costs to frequently transport disposable products to each ward.


Reusable methods The use of flusher disinfectors to clean bedpans and other items can reduce waste management, ongoing costs, and logistics concerns for healthcare facilities compared with using disposable alternatives.8 The Arjo Ninjo™, Tornado™ and Typhoon™ flusher disinfectors are used to empty, flush, clean, and disinfect reusable bedpans, urine bottles, commode buckets, and other items. Caregivers open the flusher disinfector


www.thecarehomeenvironment.com September 2022


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