Eliminating the Environment as a Source of Infection in Healthcare Facilities
On any given day in the US, one out of every 31 hospitalized patients have a healthcare associated infection (HAI).1 Clostridioides difficile, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are among the most commonly reported HAI-associated pathogens.1
The healthcare environment – the surfaces, equipment and furniture in patient care areas, procedure areas, bathrooms and even non-patient care areas – can be contaminated with pathogens and can contribute to the spread of disease and infection. Patients, healthcare workers or visitors who may be infected or colonized with HAI-causing pathogens can transmit these pathogens to others through contact with others – known as direct transmission. Also, contaminated hands can touch surfaces and leave pathogens on the surface which can then be transmitted to another patient, healthcare worker or visitor who touches that surface. This is known as indirect transmission.
Effective and thorough cleaning and disinfection is a way to reduce pathogen contamination on surfaces. A recent systematic review of 46 peer-reviewed studies found that twice daily disinfection of high-touch surfaces and terminal cleaning of hospital patient rooms with bleach-based disinfectants were found to be an effective intervention, resulting in a 45% to 85% reduction in C. difficile infections (CDI).2
Effective products along with well-trained personnel and robust protocols are all important parts of an environment-focused infection prevention strategy. In fact, a recent study showed that a year after implementation of a standardized training program for environmental services workers at five hospitals, cleaning compliance rates were two and a half times higher than before implementation.3
Clorox Healthcare is dedicated to partnering with healthcare professionals to help eliminate the healthcare environment as a source of infection. To learn more about our portfolio of products and solutions tailored for healthcare settings, visit www.cloroxhealthcare.com
1. Magill SS, O’Leary E, Janelle SJ, Thompson DL, Dumyati G, Nadle J, et al. Changes in Prevalence of Health Care–Associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals. N Engl J Med. 2018 Nov ;379(18):1732–44.
2. Louh IK, Greendyke WG, Hermann EA, et al. Clostridium Difficile Infection in Acute Care Hospitals: Systematic Review and Best Practices for Prevention. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2017; 38(4):476-482.
3. Martin E, Salsgiver E, Bernstein DA, et al. Sustained improvement in hospital cleaning associated with a novel education and culture change program for environmental services workers. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (2019), 40, 1024–1029.