The Importance of Preparing for Ongoing Infection Prevention Needs
Infection prevention has always been a critical component of quality-focused, modern healthcare. While the Covid-19 pandemic has been the most public target of disinfection efforts for the past two years, fighting ongoing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and antibiotic-resistant infections are still of critical concern for hospitals, urgent care centers, surgical facilities and other healthcare offices.
Being prepared for the ongoing IP needs means understanding threats today and into the future. Healthcare organizations’ goal should be mitigating, if not totally eliminating, facility- and community-level pathogen spread. To do this, healthcare leaders must ensure that disinfection tools, operational protocols, and innovations focus clearly on patient safety outcomes. Patient safety outcomes directly result in bottom-line savings; a report in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control cites that IP is one of the most cost-effective interventions against antimicrobial resistance (AMR) 1. Cost-effective solutions, specifically those that promise faster turnaround for patient and treatment rooms, often mean increased profitability.
How UVC Can Help
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s guidance on disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities cites critical methods that help prevent the spread of disease; ease and speed of IP practices among them 2. Solutions that offer these benefits, along with evidence-based protection, are the best way to prevent pathogen spread. The most effective solution to check all of these boxes can be found by deploying best-in-class UVC disinfection tools throughout your healthcare facilities. By reducing the pool of dangerous, deadly pathogens quickly and effectively, UVC technology empowers healthcare centers to return disinfected rooms and treatment areas back to service in a relatively short time. For example, the RD UVC system takes approximately 13 minutes in a typical patient room vs. 57 minutes for reflected light systems, allowing treatment of up to four times more room in the same amount of time.
There is a significant need for improved disinfection of procedure and treatment rooms after each procedure and on a continuous basis. Healthcare facilities can’t wait for the next pandemic to maximize their IP solutions – the right investment today will save lives now and in the future. UVC radiation effectively reduces the spread of bacteria and harmful pathogens including MRSA, C. difficile, and the current Coronavirus strain. UVC disinfection is one of the top evidence-based solutions and, when using the right system, can show proven dosage leading to better IP results. According to the FDA, UVC radiation is a known disinfectant for air and nonporous surfaces. UVC radiation has effectively been used for decades to reduce the spread of bacteria and harmful pathogens. Deploying this IP solution goes beyond any disinfection trends that might have sprung up during the recent past.
With the surge in awareness of pathogens and associated infections in healthcare environments, infection prevention will continue to be a focus not only for the industry, but by patients who want to ensure they’re safe when they seek treatment. Connect with UVC experts now to ensure you’re prepared for the ongoing IP needs of today’s healthcare facilities.
1 https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-020-00801-x
2 https://www.cdc.gov/infectioncontrol/pdf/guidelines/disinfection-guidelines-H.pdf