Evaluating the Utility of UV Lamps to Mitigate the Spread of Pathogens in the ICU

Andrew Gostine,Tim Angelotti,David Gostine,Jennifer Cadnum,Arjun Rustagi,Curtis Donskey,Jack Short

doi:10.3390/app10186326

Abstract

Contaminated surfaces in a hospital serve as reservoirs for pathogen spread. The aim of this study was to evaluate UV lights in preventing the spread of a DNA tracer in an intensive care unit (ICU) through sterilization of highly touched surfaces. In a prospective trial, a non-pathogenic DNA virus was inoculated onto surfaces in an ICU patient room. Investigators swabbed frequently touched surfaces in non-inoculated ICU rooms at 24, 48, and 96 h post inoculation. Culture specimens were analyzed for the presence of viral DNA via PCR. After baseline data were obtained, UV lights were deployed in a standardized fashion onto vitals monitors, ventilators, keyboards, and intravenous (IV) pumps. Inoculation and culturing were then repeated. Prior to UV implementation, the DNA tracer disseminated to 10.10% of tested surfaces in non-inoculated rooms at 48 h. Post UV light deployment, only 1.20% of surfaces tested positive for the DNA tracer after 48 h. UV decontamination significantly retarded the spread of the virus DNA, with a relative reduction of 90% at 48 h from 10.10% of surfaces pre UV to 1.20% of surfaces post UV (p < 0.0001). UV decontamination holds the potential to confer protection to patients by reducing the number of surfaces that can serve as a nidus for transfer.

Highlights

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 31 hospitalized patients suffers a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) annually [1]
We investigated the capacity of these UV-C devices in reducing the spread of a mosaic virus DNA
Faculty and staff were educated on the function of the UV lights prior to implementation; there was no instruction to alter staff behavior or decontamination practices within the intensive care unit (ICU)

Summary

Introduction

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 1 in 31 hospitalized patients suffers a healthcare-associated infection (HAI) annually [1]. The economic implications of HAIs are far-reaching and cost the medical system between $35.7 and $45 billion each year [2,3,4]. In one meta-analysis looking at additional hospital costs per case, central-line-associated bloodstream infections incurred an additional $45,814 (95% CI, $30,919–$65,245) to the total hospital stay, followed by ventilator-associated pneumonias at $40,144 (95% CI, $36,286–$44,220), surgical site infections at. $20,785 (95% CI, $18,902–$22,667), Clostridium difficile infections at $11,285 (95% CI, $9118–$13,574), and catheter-associated urinary tract infections at $896 (95% CI, $603–$1189) [5]. A commonality among many HAIs is their association with these devices: e.g., lines, catheters, and ventilators [6]. Portable equipment and other shared devices, e.g., keyboards, touchscreens, and pens, may be an underappreciated source of transfer of healthcare-associated pathogens; these items are often.

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