Portable Medical Equipment Research Articles

Implementation and Management of a Flight Program.

Air medical transport of critically ill and injured patients began during World War II. Now air transport has become an integral part of health care, nationally and internationally. With the development of portable medical equipment critical care has extended beyond the hospital by bringing critical care to the scene or to rural hospitals. Air medical programs transport critically ill and injured patients by helicopter or airplane while continuously providing critical care enroute. These transports are interfacility from accident scenes, disaster areas, and remote locations where the patient is transported to a tertiary care center so that definitive care will be provided. The 2 modes of air transport are rotor wing (helicopters) and fixed wing (airplanes). Air medical transport is utilized when ground transportation is not conducive to patient criticality or location relative to a tertiary care center. There are many factors to consider when choosing a mode of transport, and each mode has its own unique advantages and disadvantages. Air medical programs place emphasis on clinical care, safety, and quality assurance, with the patient being the focused beneficiary. This article addresses implementation and management of rotor wing air medical transport with a focus on standards of care, safety, and quality.

Go Science Drone Med Box – Medical Emergency Drone for Emergency Healthcare Management

The Medical Emergency Drone Box stands as a transformative development in healthcare technology, designed to address a spectrum of emergency medical needs. This paper delineates the comprehensive capabilities of the device, which ranges from its potential role in rural healthcare support to its utilization in critical emergencies, road accidents, and even organ transportation. The device integrates advanced sensors, such as body temperature and pulse detection units, to facilitate real-time monitoring and data-driven decision-making during medical interventions. It also incorporates a WiFi module and microcontrollers for efficient data transmission and seamless connectivity. To ensure the maintenance of required medical standards, the drone box includes a heating and cooling system for preserving critical medical supplies. The cloud-based storage of sensor data allows healthcare professionals to remotely access vital information in real-time. Moreover, the device is built to operate effectively even in regions with limited electrical access, courtesy of its robust battery backup system. Additional features include charging units and an assortment of essential medical equipment like portable defibrillators and drilling machines. Solar Panels are also added as a redundant power support. This paper aims to showcase the multifaceted features, data-centric functionalities, and the enormous potential the Medical Emergency Drone Box holds in revolutionizing emergency healthcare delivery across diverse settings. Developed by Go Science Technical Team. IndexTerms – Go Science, Medical Emergency Drone Box, Healthcare Innovation, Critical medical Interventions, Sensor Technology, Real-Time Data Monitoring, Data Transmission, Battery Back-up, Rural healthcare, Road Accidents, Organ Transportation, Cloud Data Storage, Portable Medical Equipment.

Assessment of microbial bioburden on portable medical equipment in a hospital setting.

Although routine disinfection of portable medical equipment is required in most hospitals, frontline staff may not be able to disinfect portable medical equipment at a rate that adequately maintains low bioburden on high-use equipment. This study quantified bioburden over an extended time period for two types of portable medical equipment, workstations on wheels and vitals machines, across three hospital wards. Bioburden was quantified via press plate samples taken from high touch surfaces on 10 workstations on wheels and 5 vitals machines on each of 3 medical surgical units. The samples were taken at three timepoints each day over a 4-week period, with random rotation of timepoints and portable medical equipment, such that frontline staff were not aware at which timepoint their portable medical equipment would be sampled. The mean bioburden from the different locations and portable medical equipment was estimated and compared with Bayesian multilevel negative binomial regression models. Model estimated mean colony counts (95% credible interval) were 14.4 (7.7-26.7) for vitals machines and 29.2 (16.1-51.1) for workstations on wheels. For the workstations on wheel, colony counts were lower on the mouse, 0.22 (0.16-0.29), tray, 0.29 (0.22, 0.38), and keyboard, 0.43 (0.32-0.55), when compared to the arm, as assessed by incident rate ratios. Although routine disinfection is required, bioburden is still present across portable medical equipment on a variety of surfaces. The difference in bioburden levels among surfaces likely reflects differences in touch patterns for the different portable medical equipment and surfaces on the portable medical equipment. Although the association of portable medical equipment bioburden to healthcare-associated infection transmission was not assessed, this study provides evidence for the potential of portable medical equipment as a vector for healthcare-associated infection transmission despite hospital disinfection requirements.

Longitudinal Assessment of Contamination Patterns on Workstations on Wheels (WOWs)

Background Representations of contamination on portable medical equipment inform strategies to prevent transmission and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). While periodic disinfection of equipment is required in most hospitals, the complexity of demands on staff may limit their ability to adequately disinfect multiple surfaces and touch points on a piece of equipment. The purpose of this study was to determine if current disinfection practices were effectively managing bioburden on WOWs on our hospital wards. Methods Samples were collected using press plate for four weeks from 10 WOWs on three medical-surgical units in our hospital. The sampling scheme limited the ability of staff to anticipate sampling and ensured multiple surfaces on each WOW were consistently sampled. Aerobic bacterial colony counts were calculated after 24 hours of incubation. Bayesian multilevel models estimated the mean bioburden and compared bioburden from different locations on WOWs. Results Out of the 452 samples, the estimated mean colony count (95% credible interval) was 29.2 (16.1-51.1). The incident risk-ratio comparing the handle to the other surfaces on the WOWs were 0.43 (0.32-0.55) for the keyboard, 0.29 (0.22-0.38) for the tray, and 0.22 (0.16-0.29) for the mouse. Conclusions The handle used for moving the WOW around, had greater bioburden compared to the keyboard, tray, or the mouse. Difference in the bioburden may reflect number of touches and lack of hand hygiene when moving equipment. The lower bioburden on keyboards and mouses may conversely reflect greater attention to hand hygiene or may be an artifact of sampling (less contact with press plates). The correlation of bioburden to HAI transmission was not studied here so the significance of bioburden alone in the absence of HAI monitoring is uncertain. Representations of contamination on portable medical equipment inform strategies to prevent transmission and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). While periodic disinfection of equipment is required in most hospitals, the complexity of demands on staff may limit their ability to adequately disinfect multiple surfaces and touch points on a piece of equipment. The purpose of this study was to determine if current disinfection practices were effectively managing bioburden on WOWs on our hospital wards. Samples were collected using press plate for four weeks from 10 WOWs on three medical-surgical units in our hospital. The sampling scheme limited the ability of staff to anticipate sampling and ensured multiple surfaces on each WOW were consistently sampled. Aerobic bacterial colony counts were calculated after 24 hours of incubation. Bayesian multilevel models estimated the mean bioburden and compared bioburden from different locations on WOWs. Out of the 452 samples, the estimated mean colony count (95% credible interval) was 29.2 (16.1-51.1). The incident risk-ratio comparing the handle to the other surfaces on the WOWs were 0.43 (0.32-0.55) for the keyboard, 0.29 (0.22-0.38) for the tray, and 0.22 (0.16-0.29) for the mouse. The handle used for moving the WOW around, had greater bioburden compared to the keyboard, tray, or the mouse. Difference in the bioburden may reflect number of touches and lack of hand hygiene when moving equipment. The lower bioburden on keyboards and mouses may conversely reflect greater attention to hand hygiene or may be an artifact of sampling (less contact with press plates). The correlation of bioburden to HAI transmission was not studied here so the significance of bioburden alone in the absence of HAI monitoring is uncertain.

Effect of SARs-CoV-2 pandemic on infection prevention behaviors and bacterial burden of high touch surfaces in a medical/surgical setting

This study aimed to determine the longitudinal efficacy of ultraviolet germicidal disinfection (UV-C) in a non-terminal disinfection context. Moreover, factors influencing enhanced infection prevention behaviors during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic were evaluated. Sixty nursing staff from three medical/surgical wards in a large military hospital were recruited for a survey and microbiological sampling of high-touch surfaces (stethoscope, personal electronic device, common access card, and hospital ID badge) and portable medical equipment (wheelchairs and mobile commodes). Surveys included hand hygiene estimates, frequency/method of cleaning items of interest, perception of UV-C, and factors influencing the use of enhanced disinfection tools. Surveys and microbiological samples were performed prior to and after the installation of a rapid, automated ultraviolet disinfection enclosure for staff use. Both time points preceded the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in the United States. A final survey/sampling time point was carried out eight months after the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants’ hand hygiene frequency did not increase throughout the study, with > 80% reporting a minimum of 4 hand hygiene events per patient hour. The cleaning frequency of high-touch surfaces (non-clinical) but not portable medical equipment increased after installation of a UV-C disinfection tool and was sustained eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic. While a modest decrease in bacterial burden was observed after UV-C intervention, a more significant reduction was observed across all surfaces during pandemic time sampling, though no detectable decrease in pathogenic contamination was observed at either time point. Motivators of UV-C use included fear of SARS-CoV-2 contamination and transmission, ease of device use, and access to rapid, automated disinfection tools while deterrents reported included technical concerns, lack of time, and preference for other disinfection methods. Automated, rapid-cycle UV-C disinfection can be efficacious for high-touch surfaces not currently governed by infection prevention and control guidelines. The introduction of enhanced disinfection tools like UV-C can enhance the overall cleaning frequency and is correlated with mild decreases in bacterial burden of high-touch surfaces, this is enhanced during periods of heightened infection threat. Evidence from this study offers insights into the factors which prompt healthcare workers to internalize/dismiss enhanced infection prevention procedures.

Effect of a “feedback prompt” from a disinfection tracking system on portable medical equipment disinfection

Portable medical equipment (PME) may contribute to transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms without proper disinfection. We studied whether a Disinfection Tracking System (DTS) with feedback prompt, attached to PME, can increase the frequency of PME disinfection. DTS devices were placed on 10 workstations-on-wheels (WOWs) and 5 vitals machine (VM). After a 25 day "screen-off" period, the DTS device screens were turned on to display the number of hours since the last recorded disinfection event for a 42 day period. We used a Bayesian multilevel zero-inflated negative binomial model to compare the number of events in the display "screen-off" to the "screen-on" period. During the "screen-off" period, there were 1.26 and 0.49 mean disinfection events and during the "screen-on" period, there were 1.76 and 0.50 mean disinfection events for WOWs and VM, respectively, per day. The model estimated mean events per device per day in the the "screen-on" period for WOW's were 1.32 (1.10 - 1.57) times greater than those in the"screen-off" period and the "screen-on" period for VM devices was 1.37 (0.89 - 2.01) times greater than those in the "screen-off" period. The rate of disinfection events for WOWs increased following the implementation of the DTS feedback prompt.

“Understanding vectors of transmission – Portable medical equipment is a potential source of healthcare associated pathogens”

“Understanding vectors of transmission – Portable medical equipment is a potential source of healthcare associated pathogens”

Density Functional Theory Study on the Effect of Isomorphic Substitution of FAU Molecular Sieve on N2 Adsorption Performance

Low pressure and anoxia are the main characteristics of the environment in the Tibetan Plateau, which means people living there have a large demand for oxygen to reduce the symptoms of altitude sickness. Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) is a competitive oxygen production technology in plateau areas, which relies on the molecular sieves for the separation of N2 and O2 in industry and portable medical equipment. The adsorption characteristics of the Faujasite-type (FAU) molecular sieves, as one kind of the most widely used adsorbents for O2 production, depend on the properties, amount, and distribution of the skeleton cations and atoms. In this paper, we explore the isomorphic substitution effect on the adsorption properties of N2 in FAU molecular sieves using the computational approaches based on the density functional theory (DFT). The structural analysis and adsorption energy calculated for the Zn, Ca, and Ga substitutions at the Si/Al skeleton sites in the β-cage structure, the basic unit of FAU molecular sieves, prove that the isomorphic substitution effect can strengthen the adsorption of N2. The Bader charge and density of states analysis validate the formation of electron-deficient holes near the Fermi level and hence strengthen the local polarity of the pore structure and enhance the adsorption of N2 molecules. The work about isomorphic substitution on the FAU molecular sieves might provide an insight into heteroatom isomorphic modification mechanisms and designing excellent air separation materials.

Journal Club: Commentary on Capturing portable medical equipment disinfection data via an automated novel disinfection tracking system

Journal Club: Commentary on Capturing portable medical equipment disinfection data via an automated novel disinfection tracking system

Capturing portable medical equipment disinfection data via an automated novel disinfection tracking system

BackgroundPortable Medical Equipment (PME) such as workstations-on-wheels (WOWs) and vital signs machines (VMs) have been linked to healthcare-associated infections. Routine visual monitoring of PME disinfection is difficult. An automated Disinfection Tracking System (DTS) was used to record and report the number of disinfection events of PME in a hospital setting. MethodsThe study was conducted in 2 acute-care units for 25-days to determine the pattern of recorded events from DTS on PME. Devices record disinfection events as moisture events and automatically store on a central database. DTS devices with “screen-on” feedback and “screen-off” devices with no display were placed on 10 WOWs and 5 VMs on separate units. ResultsA total of 421 moisture events were recorded for the “screen-on” and 345 for the “screen-off”, during the 25-day implementation period on the 2 different hospital units. The highest number of events occurred between 6:00am-7:00am, with 69 & 75 moisture events recorded for Units 1 and 2, respectively. ConclusionsThe pattern of disinfection events for WOWs and VMs demonstrated that most events occurred regularly at the times corresponding with nursing shift change. The DTS has the potential to continuously record, and report data related to PME disinfection.

Evaluation of a continuously active disinfectant for decontamination of portable medical equipment.

A single spray application of a continuously active disinfectant on portable equipment resulted in significant reductions in aerobic colony counts over 7 days and in recovery of Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci: 3 of 93 cultures (3%) versus 11 of 97 (11%) and 20 of 97 (21%) in quaternary ammonium disinfectant and untreated control groups, respectively.

Frontline Nurse Feedback During the Development of a System to Track Cleaning of Portable Medical Equipment.

As part of the development and testing of an innovative technology for tracking disinfection of portable medical equipment, end-user feedback was obtained during an initial trial on two acute care hospital units. The disinfection tracking device was installed on the computers-on-wheels and vital signs machines. Each device had the capability of detecting a cleaning event, reporting the event to an online database, and displaying the time since last cleaning event on a visual display. End-user feedback regarding functionality, usefulness of information provided, and impact on workflow was obtained by survey and facilitated group discussions. Seventeen frontline nurses completed the anonymous survey, and 22 participated in the facilitated group discussions. End users found the system functionally easy to use and the information about time since last cleaning useful and reported minimum disruption of workflow. Functionality of the system was confirmed by consistency between recorded and self-reported cleaning patterns. Managers found the data on cleaning of portable medical equipment helpful in validating compliance with hospital equipment cleaning policy. Frontline staff expressed appreciation for technology that helps them and improves outcomes but also discussed concerns about the potential for technology that creates extra work and disruption in the busy frontline nursing care delivery environment. Nurses were appreciative of opportunities to provide feedback and input into efforts to develop and introduce technology. Recorded cleaning events coincided with self-reported equipment cleaning patterns and illustrated that the device efficiently collects information deemed useful by the end user.

Aeromedical Transport of Critically Ill Patients: A Literature Review.

The aeromedical transport of critically ill patients has become an integral part of practicing medicine on a global scale. The development of reliable portable medical equipment allows physicians, emergency medical technicians, and nurses to transport wounded and diseased patients under constant critical care attention. Air transportation involves utilizing a fixed-wing (airplane) or rotor-wing (helicopter) aircraft to accomplish different types of transports ranging from scene responses to international transfers. The proper preparation and management of patients undergoing aeromedical transport require a basic understanding of the physiological changes and unique challenges encountered within the aircraft environment at 8,000 ft above sea level. The purpose of this paper is to review the literature and provide guidelines for approaching the aeromedical transportation of critically ill patients.

Fabrication of Cellulose Nanofiber/Reduced Graphene Oxide/Nitrile Rubber Flexible Films Using Pickering Emulsion Technology for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding and Piezoresistive Sensor

AbstractWith the rapid development of flexible electronics, the demand for flexible electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding materials is increasing. This study develops a new green and effective strategy, consisting of graphene oxide (GO) and cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) co‐stabilized Pickering emulsion combined with hot‐pressing technology, to prepare flexible and conductive nitrile rubber (NBR) composite films. The composite films consist of a 3D network conductive skeleton structure of reduced GO (RGO) and an isolated NBR structure. This specific design results in a maximum high conductivity of 99 S m−1, which is higher by an order of magnitude compared with that of the composites obtained using the traditional solution blending method, and a stable EMI shielding effectiveness of 25.81 dB in the X band. The introduction of the flexible NBR results in the excellent flexibility and structural strength of the composite film, and exhibits a decrease of 2.51% in the EMI shielding efficacy after 5000 cycles. As a piezoresistive sensor for wearable devices, the CNF‐RGO/NBR flexible film can hold precise current signals and respond to finger motion. The findings of this study can provide new insights for the design of conductive and flexible composites as wearable and portable medical equipment and electronic devices.

Recent progress in sulfur cathodes for application to lithium–sulfur batteries

Owing to the extensive use of fossil fuels for energy, environmental problems are becoming increasingly severe. Therefore, renewable clean energy sources must be urgently developed. As an environmentally friendly electrochemical energy-storage system, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are widely used in portable devices, electric vehicles, and medical equipment. However, owing to their high cost and low theoretical energy density, LIBs are far from meeting the current energy demand. Lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) (wherein lithium metal and sulfur are the anode and cathode, respectively) are one of the most valuable secondary batteries because of their high theoretical energy density (∼2600Whkg−1). However, the intrinsic conductivity of sulfur cathode materials is poor, and the lithium polysulfide formed during lithiation dissolves easily. Moreover, the volumetric expansion during charging and discharging adversely affects the LSB electrochemical performance, including the rate performance, cycle life, and coulombic efficiency. Therefore, to improve the LSB electrochemical performance, various sulfur composites have been prepared using carbon materials, metallic oxides, and conductive polymers, and various composite cathode materials recently developed for application to LSBs were reviewed. Finally, research directions were proposed for modifying LSB cathode materials.

Detection of sleep apnea syndrome by CNN based on ECG

Sleep apnea syndrome is a sleep disease that may lead to sudden death. Long term apnea syndrome can cause chronic cerebral hypoxia, hypertension, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular complications. At present, PSG is the most reliable method for diagnosis. But the diagnosis of PSG is complex and expensive. Electrocardiograph(ECG) and portable medical equipment have been widely used nowadays, which makes the acquisition of ECG signal more and more popular and convenient. In this paper, a convolution neural network based on ECG signal is proposed to predict apnea syndrome, the accuracy and sensitivity of this CNN model for apnea syndrome classification are 94% and 88% respectively. The results show that this method has the advantages of low cost and low complexity.

818. Healthcare Worker Feedback Regarding the Implementation of a New Disinfection Tracking System

BackgroundTracking of disinfection of portable medical equipment (PME) and demonstration of compliance with PME disinfection policies can be difficult to demonstrate. A Disinfection Tracking System (DTS) was implemented in our hospital to assess the impact of such a system on the disinfection events of PME and its ability to capture disinfection events. The DTS system improved the total disinfection events as well as disinfection events on commonly used items such as Computer-on-wheels (COWs) and vitals machine (VM) (Figures 1 & 2). Here we present a summary of healthcare workers’ (HCWs) opinions about the implementation of the DTS system in their routine work flow.Image of DTS Mounted on a Computer-on-Wheel Image of a DTS Mounted on a Vitals Machine MethodsThe study was conducted on two medical-surgical acute care units in Temple, TX Veterans Affairs hospital. The DTS devices were equipped with sensors to detect moisture events corresponding to disinfection. A display on the device indicated the last time the PME was disinfected. Opinions were obtained after the 10-week study period through a survey and facilitated group discussions between frontline HCWs and managers who had encountered the DTS during their daily work routine. The survey measured level of agreement with 13 items on a Likert-type scale system ranging from one (least agreement) to ten (most agreement).Disinfection Tracking System with Screen Displaying Time Since Last Disinfection ResultsA total of 17 surveys were completed. The lowest mean agreement score was 5.1 for the statement - the DTS system display corresponds to a real disinfection of the equipment and the highest mean agreement scores included - the DTS system was easy to understand and follow and the DTS system can easily be adopted in my routine workflow. Lastly, - the DTS system helped improve the disinfection of my COW and the DTS system will improve patient outcomes corresponded to agreement score means of 8.1 and 7.9, respectively. In the group discussions, all the involved groups of healthcare workers expressed agreement in the ease of use of the system and minimal disruption in workflow.ConclusionOur survey and interview results indicate that most of the HCWs who interacted with the device had a positive interaction with the device. They stated the DTS system helped serve as an indicator about the last disinfection event. They also noted the system integrated well into their workflow without any disruption or additional workload.DisclosuresSarah Simmons, DrPH, Xenex Disinfection Services (Employee, Shareholder) Mark Stibich, PhD MHS, Xenex Disinfection Services, Inc (Board Member, Employee) Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, AHRQ (Research Grant or Support)Department of Veterans Affairs (Other Financial or Material Support, Owner: Department of Veterans Affairs. Licensed to: Xenex Disinfection System, San Antonio, TX)Inventor (Other Financial or Material Support, Methods for organizing the disinfection of one or more items contaminated with biological agents)NiH/NINR (Research Grant or Support)NSF (Research Grant or Support)Xenex Healthcare Services (Research Grant or Support)

100. Effect of Disinfection Tracking System on Cleaning Events of Portable Medical Equipment

BackgroundPortable Medical Equipment (PME) can play a vital role in transmission of multidrug-resistant organisms. Cleaning PME is challenging and protocols vary by institution. Tracking of PME cleaning events is usually performed manually and demonstration of compliance with protocols is difficult. We studied a Disinfection Tracking Systems (DTS) to understand its potential role in tracking disinfection events of PME and whether its implementation led to improvement in the number of cleaning events. The DTS device was designed to automatically register several types of disinfection events and could be set to display time since last disinfected on the screen.MethodsFor a 25-day period, a single acute care unit received a DTS device with the display screen off but with the ability to detect and log disinfection events in a database from a disinfectant wipe. After the 25-day screen-off period the DTS units screen was turned on to display the number of hours since the last recorded disinfection event (Figure 1) for a 42-day period. DTS devices were placed on 10 computer-on-wheels (COW) and 5 vitals machine (VM). An interrupted time series analysis, using a Bayesian model compared the number of events in the display screen-off to the screen-on period.Disinfection Tracking System with Screen-off and Screen-onResultsDuring the 25-day screen-off period, there were a total of 345 events captured with 61 events on VM and 284 on COWs averaging 0.49 and 1.26 cleaning events for VM and COWs respectively per day. During the 42-day screen-on period, there were 845 total disinfection events with 104 events on VM and 741 events on COWs with 0.50 and 1.76 mean events for VM and COWs respectively per day. The mean events per device per day in the screen-on period for COW’s were 1.32 (1.10 – 1.57) times greater than those in the screen-off Period. The mean events per device per day in the screen-on period for VM devices was 1.37 (0.89 – 2.01) times greater than those in the screen-off period.ConclusionDisinfection events for COWs and VMs were found to be above the local policy requirements. Implementation of a DTS device was able to increase the rate of disinfection events for COWs potentially due to the prompt on the screen. Additionally, it captured disinfection events successfully on the database demonstrating its effective to be a tool for demonstration of compliance. DisclosuresMark Stibich, PhD MHS, Xenex Disinfection Services, Inc (Board Member, Employee) Sarah Simmons, DrPH, Xenex Disinfection Services (Employee, Shareholder) Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, AHRQ (Research Grant or Support)Department of Veterans Affairs (Other Financial or Material Support, Owner: Department of Veterans Affairs. Licensed to: Xenex Disinfection System, San Antonio, TX)Inventor (Other Financial or Material Support, Methods for organizing the disinfection of one or more items contaminated with biological agents)NiH/NINR (Research Grant or Support)NSF (Research Grant or Support)Xenex Healthcare Services (Research Grant or Support)

821. Portable Medical Equipment Disinfection: How often does it occur?

BackgroundPortable Medical Equipment (PME) are routinely used by healthcare workers (HCWs). Transmission of healthcare-acquired infections has been attributed to PME. Our institution policy requires at least once daily PME disinfection. Automated tracking of disinfection events by Disinfection Tracking System (DTS) makes routine monitoring possible. We tested the device to see if it could provide accurate information about disinfection practices and patterns, as well as be used to accurately monitor compliance with policy.MethodsData obtained from DTS devices on PME from 2 acute care wards over a 25-day period was obtained. DTS devices record disinfection events and are automatically stored for monitoring. DTS was placed on 10 computer-on-wheels (COWs) and 5 vitals machine (VMs) on both the wards. One ward received DTS with “Screen-on” feedback displaying the time since last disinfection event, and one unit had no display on the screen (screen-off). The number of recorded events was summed over the 25-day period and sorted by time of day to determine the pattern of events over a typical 24-hour period. Minute “0” indicates start of each monitoring period in a 24-hour cycle and corresponds to 12 midnight (Figure 1).ResultsA total of 421 moisture events were recorded for the screen-on and 345 for the screen-off, during the 25-day implementation period. The highest number of events occurred between 6am and 7am, with 69 moisture events recorded in the screen-on group and 75 events were recorded for the screen-off group. Further, 37 events were recorded in the screen-on group and 43 events in the screen-off group between 2pm and 3pm. Between 6pm and 7pm the screen-on group showed 52 moisture events and 32 events for the screen-off group. Figures 1 shows the three peaks corresponding with a spike in disinfection events.ConclusionThe pattern of disinfection events over 24 hours demonstrate that most events occurred regularly at certain times in the day. These time points correspond with higher volumes of disinfection happening at the beginning of shift changes for nursing. It also demonstrated that disinfection rates were higher than the policy recommended once a day PME disinfection. DTS has the potential to continuously record & report data related of disinfection events on PME in healthcare settings.Disclosures Chetan Jinadatha, MD, MPH, AHRQ (Research Grant or Support)Department of Veterans Affairs (Other Financial or Material Support, Owner: Department of Veterans Affairs. Licensed to: Xenex Disinfection System, San Antonio, TX)Inventor (Other Financial or Material Support, Methods for organizing the disinfection of one or more items contaminated with biological agents)NiH/NINR (Research Grant or Support)NSF (Research Grant or Support)Xenex Healthcare Services (Research Grant or Support) Mark Stibich, PhD MHS, Xenex Disinfection Services, Inc (Board Member, Employee) Sarah Simmons, DrPH, Xenex Disinfection Services (Employee, Shareholder)

Evaluation of a Continuously Active Disinfectant for Disinfection of Mobile Equipment

Background: One of the limitations of current cleaning and disinfection strategies is that cleaned surfaces rapidly become recontaminated. In laboratory testing, a novel quaternary ammonium disinfectant provided sustained antimicrobial activity against multiple pathogens on surfaces after 24 hours. We hypothesized that this continuously active disinfectant would be effective in reducing contamination of portable medical equipment in a real-world healthcare setting.Methods: In a hospital and affiliated long-term care facility, 114 portable devices were randomized to receive no treatment (N = 38) or a single spray application of a quaternary ammonium-alcohol disinfectant (N = 38) or of the continuously active disinfectant (N = 38). The devices were cultured at baseline and on days 1, 4, and 7 after treatment for total aerobic colony counts, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and enterococci.Results: As shown in Fig. 1, both spray disinfectants significantly reduced total aerobic colony counts in comparison to the untreated controls. The continuously active disinfectant resulted in sustained significant reductions in aerobic colony counts in comparison to baseline levels (P < .05), whereas counts returned to baseline levels by day 4 in the quaternary ammonium-alcohol disinfectant group. Recovery of MRSA and enterococci was significantly reduced on days 1–7 in the continuously active disinfectant group versus untreated controls (3 of 93, 3% vs 20 of 97, 21% respectively; P = .002), but not in the quaternary ammonium-alcohol disinfectant (11 of 97, 11%; P = .12). Conclusions: A single spray application of a continuously active disinfectant resulted in sustained reductions in total aerobic colony counts over 7 days and reduced recovery of MRSA and enterococci. The continuously active disinfectant could potentially reduce the risk for transmission of pathogens by portable devices.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None