The role of environmental cleaning is critical in the containment and prevention of disease. This section is meant to provide healthcare workers with important facts, tools and information about decontamination, disinfection and sterilization in healthcare facilities.

How widespread are HAIs?

99,000 people die each year of hospital-acquired infectious diseases in the US, according to the CDC.¹ C. difficile can be found on 20% to 49% of the surfaces sampled in rooms of patients with C. difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD).² Contaminated medical equipment and other surfaces may come into direct contact with at risk patients or serve as sources of healthcare worker hand contamination.

Nocospray System is effective against C. diff.

Systems like Nocospray have been used successfully to decrease C. difficile contamination by 91%, compared to a 50% reduction using sodium hypochlorite (bleach). Environmental cleaning with a detergent-disinfectant was performed prior to disinfection. The time required for vapor/dry-mist decontamination is about 1.5 hours (dependent on room volume).⁴

Nocospray System is effective against MRSA

Isolation rooms contaminated with MRSA were decontaminated more effectively with systems like Nocospray than with routine cleaning measures. The vapor was particularly effective for decontaminating complex furniture and equipment that is difficult to clean manually.⁴

As seen in the Bates study, the Nocospray Disinfection System is effective against a wide range of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses (method: AFNOR NF T 72 180) and spores, particularly those of C. difficile. It has been used successfully in eradicating Serratia marcescens from neonatal intensive care units, MRSA from surgical units, VRE and C. difficile.^3,5

Sources

1. Kim T, Oh PI, Simor AE. The economic impact of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Canadian hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2001;22(2):99-104.
2. Miller M.A., Morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden of nosocomial Clostridium difficile –associated diarrhea in Canadian hospitals. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2002;23(3):137-140
3. PIDAC Best Practices for Environmental Cleaning for Infection Prevention and Control in All Healthcare Settings December 2009
4. Impact of Hydrogen Peroxide Vapor Room Decontamination on Clostridium difficile Environmental Contamination and Transmission in a Healthcare Setting, August 2008 .
5. Bates CJ, Pearse R. Use of hydrogen peroxide vapour for environmental control during a Serratia outbreak in a neonatal intensive care unit. J Hosp Infect 2005;61(4):364-6.
6. Infection Prevention Products and Services: Industry Study 2526, The Freedonia Group Inc., August 2009.