Health-Tech Raising Standards of Hospital Cleanliness

Featured article by Sally Writes, Independent Technology Author

Healthcare-Associated Infections lead to more deaths than car accidents, Aids or breast cancer in the US, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control. The spread of bad bacteria, as well as infectious viruses, is minimized by optimal cleanliness standards in hospitals. In addition to the revolutionized healthcare services brought by innovation in the healthcare industry, technology has heavily impacted the hospital disinfection processes. The primary goal is to curb the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections (HIAs), states the Center for Disease Control, in order to make these facilities safe to handle or use.

Precautions Hospitals Ought To Take

The CDC’s Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Healthcare Facilities have helped to improve cleanliness standards in hospitals. According to Penn Jersey, “Hospital cleaning is a specialist and unique process,” and requires that thorough cleaning done by qualified, well-equipped staff begins before the sterilization process of any hospital. This helps to remove organic matter, visible oils and salts which may compromise the microbial inactivation step. With the help of technology, researchers have also improved the quality and strength of substances used to disinfect surfaces in hospitals while maintaining safety. This, along with cleaning and decontamination services every day and on a reactive basis, secures health facilities.

High-Level Disinfectants

Modern technologies have brought high-level disinfectants to hospitals to optimize decontamination on surfaces and environs within hospitals. Chemical sterilants such as formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, ortho-pivalaldehyde, hydrogen peroxide, and other high-level disinfectants are a few examples of what is being used to sterilize such places. The necessity to ensure antimicrobial implementation is due to the fact that health associated infections can develop more than 2-4 days after a patient has been admitted, or even 10 days after discharge. The chemicals are used in prevention strategies to disinfect wards, surgery surfaces, hospital instruments and equipment, and are used as hygiene antiseptics for overall environmental cleanliness.

Automated Disinfection Systems

The no-touch disinfection technologies have been put in place to take care of tasks that cannot be met manually. These systems are able to carry out a disinfection process in a short period of time, after cleaning has been done in pathogen exposed environs. They come in a variety of forms, such as UV systems and HP Vapor systems. The UV system, for example, uses ultraviolet energy in a calculated dose to alter and inactivate the DNA of harmful bacteria in order to kill them. The disinfection recesses are done room by room to monitor them carefully, having been exposed to different kinds of pathogens. The process begins by a countdown during which the premises are evacuated and disinfected, and after which patients can safely use the facility. On the other hand, Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor emitting systems are able to disinfect entire rooms without the need to rinse or wipe. Before a patient is admitted, the premises are made secure using this hands-free system. This improvement in technology has helped to protect incoming patients from contracting diseases from previously admitted patients, thus controlling the spread of infection cycles.

Self-Disinfecting Surfaces And Fabrics

Self-disinfecting surfaces provide maintenance of microbe-free surfaces by using enzymes, photoactive materials and monolayers that are self-assembled. Photoactivated surfaces, for example, are usually coated with a self-cleaning film activated by ultraviolet rays. Fabrics, on the other hand, are usually impregnated with chemicals such as hydroxyapatite silver Ti02, which are non-toxic and biodegradable. The substances shouldn’t reduce the durability or function of the cloth to maximize cost effectiveness while maintaining health standards. Surfaces can also be impregnated with heavy metals such as silver and copper in different states to discourage microbial thriving. Further analysis of these metals is still underway to improve how effective they are.

Micro-organism transfer from patient to patient, patient to personnel, and back to another patient can occur very fast. It is, therefore, the hospital’s obligation to ensure that the system they use allows for highly maintained, well-disinfected premises. Surfaces frequented by hands, walls and floors, showers or baths, and toilets and carpets are but some of the most common breeding grounds for pathogens. Management in hospitals should take cautious steps when hiring staff or cleaning companies by carefully checking their credentials and training to avoid unnecessary setbacks. Personnel in hospitals, as well as patients, should also go through respective training to create awareness amongst themselves and the community.