Reducing health care-associated infections by implementing separated environmental cleaning management measures by using disposable wipes of four colors

Swee Siang Wong,Yi Pei Hsieh,Chen Ni Kuo,Li Ching Chen,Cheng Hua Huang,Yi Ru Chen,Chiu Chu Yang

doi:10.1186/s13756-018-0320-6

Swee Siang Wong, Yi Pei Hsieh + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s13756-018-0320-6

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Abstract

BackgroundEnvironmental cleaning is a fundamental principle of infection control in health care settings. We determined whether implementing separated environmental cleaning management measures in MICU reduced the density of HAI.MethodsWe performed a 4-month prospective cohort intervention study between August and December 2013, at the MICU of Cathay General hospital. We arranged a training program for all the cleaning staff regarding separated environmental cleaning management measures by using disposable wipes of four colors to clean the patients’ bedside areas, areas at a high risk of contamination, paperwork areas, and public areas. Fifteen high-touch surfaces were selected for cleanliness evaluation by using the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence test. Then data regarding HAI densities in the MICU were collected during the baseline, intervention, and late periods.ResultsA total of 120 ATP readings were obtained. The total number of clean high-touch surfaces increased from 13% to 53%, whereas that of unclean high-touch surface decreased from 47% to 20%. The densities of HAI were 14.32‰ and 14.90‰ during the baseline and intervention periods, respectively. The HAI density did not decrease after the intervention period, but it decreased to 9.07‰ during the late period.ConclusionImplementing separated environmental cleaning management measures by using disposable wipes of four colors effectively improves cleanliness in MICU environments. However, no decrease in HAI density was observed within the study period. Considering that achieving high levels of hand-hygiene adherence is difficult, improving environmental cleaning is a crucial adjunctive measure for reducing the incidence of HAIs.

Highlights

Environmental cleaning is a fundamental principle of infection control in health care settings
Environmental particulate matter may consist of human skin and hair; it serves as a vehicle for transporting dust particles and microbes and enables them to settle near the patients’ bedside areas
Several modalities for assessing environmental cleanliness, such as aerobic colony counts, the use of invisible fluorescent markers that are placed on high-touch room surfaces before cleaning and can be detected using UV-light after cleaning, bioluminescencebased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) technologies, and genomic and polymerase chain reaction-based technologies, have been introduced

Summary

Introduction

Environmental cleaning is a fundamental principle of infection control in health care settings. We determined whether implementing separated environmental cleaning management measures in MICU reduced the density of HAI. Environmental particulate matter may consist of human skin and hair; it serves as a vehicle for transporting dust particles and microbes and enables them to settle near the patients’ bedside areas. This particulate matter plays a crucial role in the transmission of dangerous pathogens, including Clostridium difficile, and antibiotic-resistant organisms, such. A bioluminescencebased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) modality was used to evaluate the level of cleanliness This strategy was hypothesized to reduce the density of HAI in the MICU

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion