surfaces – infection control
working solution. One HOT SHOT can disinfect an
entire patient bedspace, meaning hospitals can eliminate the use of single-use plastic wipes, making a significant financial saving and reducing waste. But the past few years have seen a
shift away from using solely chlorine- based solutions within healthcare settings, as Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) becomes more popular. Diversey’s Oxivir range is an
example of this. Ranina said: “The key requirement
from any disinfectant in healthcare settings is efficacy; to prevent the introduction of potentially-harmful pathogens and infections.” Importantly, contact times must be
short so that pathogens are killed before the surface dries.
How surface material and disinfection is crucial to curbing the spread of infection
A first line of defence against bugs
A
round 80% of infectious diseases are spread by personal contact or through touching a
contaminated surface. And as a single bacterium can
multiply to over four million in just eight hours; it is clear that keeping surfaces clean is critical to breaking the chain, particularly in high-risk environments such as hospitals and care homes. To address this, manufacturers are
coming up with increasingly-effective and easy-to-use products that are offering a first line of defence for healthcare cleaning teams. Tinaz Ranina of Diversey said: “It is
clear that the sector now has a wider choice of products with which to
implement highly-effective infection prevention strategies to protect the lives of patients and those who care for them.” Cleaning professionals have
traditionally chosen disinfectants with chlorine as the active ingredient – usually as bleaches – for the treatment of hard surfaces. Tristel is best known for its chlorine
dioxide wipes, but it recently launched Cache; a range dedicated entirely to surface disinfection.
Hot shot Products include HOT SHOT, a dual- compartment burstable capsule for the generation of 500ml chlorine dioxide
healthcaredm.co.uk 27
Acting quickly But many chlorine-based products can take up to 30 minutes to work and are only effective while wet. In contrast, many AHP solutions
disinfect as they dry. “Disinfectants 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. diff in one minute,” said Ranina. “This is one of the reasons why
this type of disinfectant was the product of choice at hospitals and care homes during the Ebola virus outbreak in 2014.” She added: “With more cleaning
taking place while patients are present, processes must be safe and efficient, 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.” Another emerging tool utilises
ultra-violet type C (UV-C), avoiding chemicals altogether. It works by disrupting the DNA of
pathogens, which prevents them from causing infections. ➤
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