Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Research Articles

Evaluation of a pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection system to decrease bacterial contamination in operating rooms

BackgroundEnvironmental cleanliness is one of the contributing factors for surgical site infections in the operating rooms (ORs). To decrease environmental contamination, pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV), an easy and safe no-touch disinfection system, is employed in several hospital environments. The positive effect of this technology on environmental decontamination has been observed in patient rooms and ORs during the end-of-day cleaning but so far, no study explored its feasibility between surgical cases in the OR.MethodsIn this study, 5 high-touch surfaces in 30 ORs were sampled after manual cleaning and after PX-UV intervention mimicking between-case cleaning to avoid the disruption of the ORs’ normal flow. The efficacy of a 1-min, 2-min, and 8-min cycle were tested by measuring the surfaces’ contaminants by quantitative cultures using Tryptic Soy Agar contact plates.ResultsWe showed that combining standard between-case manual cleaning of surfaces with a 2-min cycle of disinfection using a portable xenon pulsed ultraviolet light germicidal device eliminated at least 70% more bacterial load after manual cleaning.ConclusionsThis study showed the proof of efficacy of a 2-min cycle of PX-UV in ORs in eliminating bacterial contaminants. This method will allow a short time for room turnover and a potential reduction of pathogen transmission to patients and possibly surgical site infections.

2-107 - A Trial of Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection to Reduce C. Difficile Infection

2-107 - A Trial of Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection to Reduce C. Difficile Infection

Evaluation of a pulsed xenon ultraviolet light device for isolation room disinfection in a United Kingdom hospital

Pathogen transmission from contaminated surfaces can cause hospital-associated infections. Although pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light devices have been shown to decrease hospital room bioburden in the United States, their effectiveness in United Kingdom (UK) hospitals is less understood. Forty isolation rooms at the Queens Hospital (700 beds) in North London, UK, were sampled for aerobic bacteria after patient discharge, after manual cleaning with a hypochlorous acid-troclosene sodium solution, and after PX-UV disinfection. PX-UV device efficacy on known organisms was tested by exposing inoculated agar plates in a nonpatient care area. Turnaround times for device usage were recorded, and a survey of hospital staff for perceptions of the device was undertaken. After PX-UV disinfection, the bacterial contamination measured in colony forming units (CFU) decreased by 78.4%, a 91% reduction from initial bioburden levels prior to terminal cleaning. PX-UV exposure resulted in a 5-log CFU reduction for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on spiked plates. The average device turnaround time was 1 hour, with minimal impact on patient throughput. Ward staff were enthusiastic about device deployment, and device operators reported physical comfort in usage. PX-UV use decreased bioburden in patient discharge rooms and on agar plates spiked with MDROs. The implementation of the PX-UV device was well received by hospital cleaning and ward staff, with minimal disruption to patient flow.

The microbiological impact of pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection on resistant bacteria, bacterial spore and fungi and viruses

Pathogens can persist in the patient care environment and cause the risk of transmission to patients. Pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) is increasingly being used to disinfect patient rooms, operating rooms and other areas. Data on the impact of PX-UV on resistant bacteria, bacterial spores, fungi, viruses and the Ebola virus are lacking in the literature. Laboratory data are presented in this paper on the log reductions observed after the exposure of PX-UV to a variety of organisms in a laboratory setting.

Is the pulsed xenon ultraviolet light no-touch disinfection system effective on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in the absence of manual cleaning?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been shown to survive on ambient surfaces for extended periods of time. Leftover MRSA environmental contamination in a hospital room places future patients at risk. Manual disinfection supplemented by pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light disinfection has been shown to greatly decrease the MRSA bioburden in hospital rooms. However, the effect of PX-UV in the absence of manual disinfection has not been evaluated. Rooms that were previously occupied by a MRSA-positive patient (current colonization or infection) were selected for the study immediately postdischarge. Five high-touch surfaces were sampled, before and after PX-UV disinfection, in each hospital room. The effectiveness of the PX-UV device on the concentration of MRSA was assessed employing a Wilcoxon signed-rank test for all 70 samples with MRSA in 14 rooms, as well as by surface location. The final analysis included 14 rooms. Before PX-UV disinfection there were a total of 393 MRSA colonies isolated from the 5 high-touch surfaces. There were 100 MRSA colonies after disinfection by the PX-UV device and the overall reduction was statistically significant (P < .01). Our study results suggest that PX-UV light effectively reduces MRSA colony counts in the absence of manual disinfection. These findings are important for hospital and environmental services supervisors who plan to adapt new technologies as an adjunct to routine manual disinfection.

Disinfecting personal protective equipment with pulsed xenon ultraviolet as a risk mitigation strategy for health care workers

The doffing of personal protective equipment (PPE) after contamination with pathogens such as Ebola poses a risk to health care workers. Pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection has been used to disinfect surfaces in hospital settings. This study examined the impact of PX-UV disinfection on an Ebola surrogate virus on glass carriers and PPE material to examine the potential benefits of using PX-UV to decontaminate PPE while worn, thereby reducing the pathogen load prior to doffing. Ultraviolet (UV) safety and coverage tests were also conducted. PX-UV exposure resulted in a significant reduction in viral load on glass carriers and PPE materials. Occupational Safety and Health Administration-defined UV exposure limits were not exceeded during PPE disinfection. Predoffing disinfection with PX-UV has potential as an additive measure to the doffing practice guidelines. The PX-UV disinfection should not be considered sterilization; all PPE should still be considered contaminated and doffed and disposed of according to established protocols.

Utilization and Impact of a Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Room Disinfection System in a Long Term Acute Care Facility

Interventions to address healthcare associated infections (HAIs) in long term acute care (LTAC) facilities have posed unique challenges. Recent advances in automated room disinfection involving mercury-UV or HPV have not transferred to the LTAC setting, and feasibility is unkown. Pulse xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) is a novel method for achieving rapid disinfection of the healthcare environment. PX-UV was deployed in a 115 bed LTAC to determine its impact on operations and HAIs.

Can Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfect Aerobic Bacteria in the Presence of Organic Material and the Absence of Manual Disinfection?

Can Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfect Aerobic Bacteria in the Presence of Organic Material and the Absence of Manual Disinfection?

Implementation of innovative pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) environmental cleaning in an acute care hospital

It is widely acknowledged that the hospital environment is an important reservoir for many of the pathogenic microbes associated with health care-associated infections (HAIs). Environmental cleaning plays an important role in the prevention and containment of HAIs, in patient safety, and the overall experience of health care facilities. New technologies, such as pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light systems are an innovative development for enhanced cleaning and decontamination of hospital environments. A portable PX-UV disinfection device delivers pulsed UV light to destroy microbial pathogens and spores, and can be used in conjunction with manual environmental cleaning. In addition, this technology facilitates thorough disinfection of hospital rooms in 10–15 minutes. The current study was conducted to evaluate whether the introduction of the PX-UV device had a positive impact on patient satisfaction. Satisfaction was measured using the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) survey. In 2011, prior to the introduction of the PX-UV system, patient HCAHPS scores for cleanliness averaged 75.75%. In the first full quarter after enhanced cleaning of the facility was introduced, this improved to 83%. Overall scores for the hospital rose from 76% (first quarter, 2011) to 87.6% (fourth quarter, 2012). As a result of this improvement, the hospital received 1% of at-risk reimbursement from the inpatient prospective payment system as well as additional funding. Cleanliness of the hospital environment is one of the questions included in the HCAHPS survey and one measure of patient satisfaction. After the introduction of the PX-UV system, the score for cleanliness and the overall rating of the hospital rose from below the fiftieth to the ninety-ninth percentile. This improvement in the patient experience was associated with financial benefits to the hospital.

318Is the Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Light No-Touch Disinfection System Effective on MRSA in the Absence of Manual Cleaning?

318Is the Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Light No-Touch Disinfection System Effective on MRSA in the Absence of Manual Cleaning?

Impact of a multi-hospital intervention utilising screening, hand hygiene education and pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) on the rate of hospital associated meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection

Standard approaches to meticillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) prevention have included hand hygiene and active surveillance. These approaches have shown mixed results. The addition of pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) room disinfection for MRSA prevention is a novel approach. This new MRSA prevention method was implemented at an acute care hospital system in Greensboro, NC, USA. An MRSA screening programme was implemented over a six-month period from July 2011 to January 2012 to include all high-risk patients and the majority of surgical patients. A two-week hand hygiene education initiative was implemented in February 2011. The use of PX-UV for terminal cleaning of MRSA patient rooms was also implemented in February 2011. The rates of hospital associated MRSA (HA-MRSA) infections were monitored before and after implementation of all prevention efforts. The HA-MRSA rate decreased at the largest facility in the system by 57%, and for the entire healthcare system by 56% ( p=0.001). The two smaller hospitals saw reductions of 51% and 66%, but the results were not statistically significant ( p=0.1047 and p=0.2263). Implementing a PX-UV device in conjunction with active screening and hand hygiene was associated with a decrease in HA-MRSA rates. Studies on the individual effect of PX-UV on HA-MRSA rates are warranted.

Results from a Trial of a Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection Device: Reducing the Burden of Hospital Associated Infections

The role of the environment as a source of hospital associated infections has been explored in numerous studies. Recent efforts to mitigate this risk have focused on enhanced disinfection methods such as ultraviolet light. Pulse xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) is a novel method for achieving rapid disinfection of the healthcare environment. PX-UV technology was trialed on two units of a large cancer center in the Southeastern US.

Using Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet to Decrease Contamination in Operating Rooms during Terminal Cleaning

Using Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet to Decrease Contamination in Operating Rooms during Terminal Cleaning

Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection and Patient Satisfaction

and place a “No Entry” sign on the door to deter staff from entering and contaminating the room. If a staff membermust enter the room they are required to wash their hands prior to entering and when leaving the room. All equipment brought into the room must be disinfected prior to entering and any equipment in the room that is touch will be disinfected prior to leaving the room. RESULTS: Prior to implementing the room sealing procedure, of the 125 high-touch surfaces tested for cleanliness, 59 (47%) were not satisfactory. However, after implementing the room sealing procedure there was a significant improvement with not satisfactory results in only 29 (23%) of 128 surfaces tested. LESSON LEARNED: Ensuring every patient is admitted to a clean room does not stop at a visual inspection. Additional measures such as surface testing and sealing cleaned rooms to prevent contamination are essential to ensure we provide the best possible environment for our patients.

Decreasing Operating Room Contamination of Surfaces and Air with Pulsed Xenon Ultraviolet Disinfection

Compare the bacterial contamination remaining on surfaces and in the air of operating rooms (ORs) before and after standard cleaning and quick cleaning (QC) followed by pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection (PX-UVD).

Evaluation of a Pulsed-Xenon Ultraviolet Room Disinfection Device for Impact on Hospital Operations and Microbial Reduction

This study evaluated the use of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) room disinfection by sampling frequently touched surfaces in vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) isolation rooms. The PX-UV system showed a statistically significant reduction in microbial load and eliminated VRE on sampled surfaces when using a 12-minute multiposition treatment cycle.