HAI prevention focus of new CDC study

Preventing HAIs with UV light has been the recent focus of federal attention. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a two-year study that will measure the effectiveness of using advanced, no-touch environmental UV disinfection technology to reduce infections. 

Alamance Regional Medical Center of Burlington, North Carolina, has joined a select group of hospitals participating in the CDC-sponsored infection-reduction study. Tru-D SmartUVC was selected for the study because its automated dose-delivery system has been shown to overcome the inaccurate, human-based cycle timing and poor device placement common to newer UV devices lacking third party efficacy studies essential in delivery of a standard of care. Tru-D SmartUVC eliminates human error to provide consistent, repeatable disinfection outcomes, company officials say.

"For the past three years, hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rates have been dropping at Alamance Regional," says Sara Wall, RN, Infection Preventionist at Alamance Regional. "This study will help us determine if UV light can help us obtain even lower infection rates." 

The elimination of surface contamination within patient rooms is a critical and essential practice in the reduction of HAI's, and an important target for hospitals as associated costs are often non-reimbursed. Yet, facilities are faced with the challenge of eliminating infection-causing germs that are increasingly resistant to chemical cleaners and antibiotic therapies. 

The nine-hospital study will look at four specific pathogens that persist in the hospital environment: MRSA, VRE, C. difficile and Acinetobacter. Patients that present symptoms for these pathogens are traditionally placed on contact precautions, and special chemical cleaning procedures are used to disinfect the environmental surfaces after the patient is discharged.

This story was updated with the CDC study information at 11:06 a.m., Dec. 28.