Reducing Hospital Acquired Infections (HAI's) by Using UV Light

Overview:    Hospital acquired infection rates are of huge concern for patients, visitors, healthcare providers, and staff. The devastating repercussions of acquiring an HAI will not only affect the heath of those afflicted, but in the hospitals reputation as well. With allotted cleaning times reduced to fractions of an hour, the expectation of fully and proficiently sanitizing a room is unreasonable. This means that there is a chronic risk of exposure to harmful organisms from a variety of sources, including the air.

A realistic, affordable, and easy solutions is to utilize ultraviolet light as a disinfection method. Ultraviolet light is a specific part of the electromagnetic spectrum of light that offers bactericidal effects. Ultraviolet light is divided into UV-A, UV-B and UV-C rays. It is the wavelengths in the UV-C spectrum, specifically 254 nm, which offer the greatest germicidal potential. When a micro-organism is exposed to UV-C, the nuclei of the cells are altered due to photolytic processes. This process prevents further replication and causes cell death.

UV-C is effective against a wide range of organisms including MRSA, VRE, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, among many others which are widespread in the healthcare industry. The properties of UV-C light results in a 99% of harmful organisms and spores in just minutes of exposure with a dry, chemical-free, and residue-free method of disinfection. With patients needing to be in their room much of the day, and cleaning times reduced to unmanageable rates to do a proper job, the need for a quick solution in preventing HAI's is vital.

The risks posed for developing HAI's as well as beneficial Technology in combating the spread of disease will be discussed. These solutions provide ways to disinfect a hospital facility in simple, quick, safe, and effective manner using UV-C light systems. There are a vast number of places of risk of infection at a hospital, and therefore is a wide range of platforms where UV-C light can be applied using different and targeted products.

Why should you Attend: According to the National Institutes for Health (NIH), 1 in 10 individuals who make a hospital stay will inflicted with a nosocomial infection. Nosocomial infections are hospital acquired infections (HAI's) developed in hospital or healthcare service facility that initially appear 48 hours or more after hospital admission or within 30 days after discharge following in patient care. Most individuals have compromised immune systems that are needing to be in treatment, and lax concern for safety protocols only compounds the risks for not only the patients, but their visitors, and their healthcare providers. Hospital systems are also rated in accordance to their HAI rates, and a poor figure can crush its reputation. Unfortunately, cleaning crews are given unrealistic time frames in which to be able to clean an entire patient room.

This small amount of time does not allow for a full sanitation of every surface, so the likelihood that every organism be properly eliminated is improbable. There is a need for a quick and easy method that is both safe and effective for the healthcare industry. Ultraviolet light disinfection is a necessary solution that can be applied to rooms, small items via chambers, tight spaces, and even air flow. Data may also be logged to provide evidence into the superior efforts a hospital is taking to put the health of its patients, staff, and visitors of highest concern. This talk will be an enlightening discussion on the risks of HAI's, the challenges they pose, as well as solutions in combating harmful organisms that lead to disease.

Areas Covered in the Session:

HAI's
Overview of UV-C light disinfection
Applications within a hospital
Explanation of UV-C products
Limitations of UV-C

Who Will Benefit:
Infection Control
Hospital or LTC Administration
Quality
Housekeeping

Speaker Profile
Paul Lorcheim is the Director of Operations for ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc. since 2001. As a Licensed Professional Engineer he is responsible for directing the commercialization and manufacturing of various decontamination and sterilization equipment for the pharmaceutical, life science, health care, and food industries. Prior to ClorDiSys Solutions, Inc. Paul worked for Johnson and Johnson for 20 years with positions in Engineering, Sterilization, and Manufacturing Operations. Paul has numerous publications and co-authored various book chapters regarding sterilization and decontamination.