A range of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) were decreased among patients after facilities added ultraviolet environmental disinfection (UVD) to the cleaning regimen, according to a study published in the June issue of the American Journal of Infection Control.
Researchers found that the rate of hospital-acquired infections caused by MDRO and C. difficile was significantly lower during the 22 months of UVD use compared with the 30-month period before UVD (2.14 cases per 1,000 patient-days versus 2.67 cases, respectively), according to an article on the FacilityCare website.
The study analyzed 52 months of hospital-acquired MDROs plus C. difficile before and during UVD use. During the pre-UVD period (January 2009-June 2011), the hospital used standard cleaning protocols (sodium hypochlorite) to disinfect MDRO patient rooms upon discharge.
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