The Xenex portable room disinfection system was recently featured on VA News, a weekly video program. Xenex officials say the system offers "the fastest, safest, and most cost-effective method for the automated disinfection of healthcare facilities."

 

[See also: ONC, AHRQ target patient safety.]

 

In an effort to achieve "zero" hospital acquired infections (HAIs) the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System (Central Texas VA System) is using Xenex’s pulse xenon UV room disinfection system to eliminate the deadly microorganisms (MRSA, Clostridium difficile (C. diff), VRE) that  cause infections.

 

The Central Texas VA System launched Xenex’s technology in October 2012. Central Texas VA System was one of the first national VA systems to deploy Xenex throughout its acute care facilities. 

 

Xenex’s room disinfection system uses pulse xenon UV light to destroy viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in the patient environment without contact or chemicals. Designed for ease of use and portability, a hospital’s environmental services staff can operate Xenex without disrupting hospital operations or requiring the use of expensive chemicals, according to Xenex officials. The Xenex system will disinfect more than rooms per day, so hospitals use the system continuously to reduce contamination levels throughout their facilities.

 

Chetan Jinadatha, MD, Central Texas VA System Chief of Infectious Disease, discussed the VA’s initiative and how Xenex is being deployed at the Central Texas VA facility. “This technology is so innovative and important. It kills reliably every time,” Jinadatha said in the VA News documentary.

 

“The VA hospitals are committed to eliminating HAIs and creating a safer, more effective VA healthcare system. We hope that this VA News feature will educate other VA facilities about our pulse xenon UV light technology and how it can make their environment cleaner,” said Mark Stibich, chief scientific officer of Xenex. “Xenex devices have been proven to reduce HAIs and hospitals using our technology are experiencing fewer infections. We are thrilled that the Central Texas VA is being recognized for its innovation in patient safety.”

 

Jinadatha presented the results of an initial study performed at Central Texas VA System “Evaluation of a Pulse-Xenon Ultraviolet Room Disinfection Device for Impact on Contamination Levels of MRSA” at IDWeek, the combined meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA), the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), the HIV Medicine Association (HIVMA), and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS).