North Carolina Hospital Implements UV Technology to Fight Infections

While multi-drug resistant organisms continue to be a problem among the nation's healthcare facilities, Iredell Health System has implemented a new layer of protection for patients, staff, and guests at Iredell Memorial Hospital. The Statesville, North Carolina-based facility added ultraviolet (UV) technology to their cleaning program, according to an article on the Statesville Record & Landmark website.

To enhance existing protocols for disinfecting patient rooms and other key areas in the facility, the Iredell has invested in two UV systems, which use UV light to kill microorganisms by inactivating their DNA, rendering them harmless and unable to replicate.

The device is effective against a range of dangerous pathogens, including MRSA and C. Diff. It can kill microscopic organisms in five minutes at a distance of eight feet.

"We chose to purchase these UV devices as an added measure to help us prevent healthcare-associated infections and ensure the safest possible environment of care for our patients, staff and visitors. The device is able to treat areas that are difficult to clean manually, and it allows us to track which rooms have been treated for more accurate reporting," Pam Gill, Director of Infection Prevention for Iredell Health System, said in the article.

Iredell uses the devices to disinfect operating rooms and contact isolation patient rooms. Other patient rooms and public areas are treated on a rotating basis. The devices are used after the environmental services team thoroughly cleans and disinfects each room with a chemical surface disinfectant product.
 
The UV devices are then used to supplement these efforts. In a typical patient room, the device is placed on both sides of the patient bed and turned on for five minutes in each position. It's also placed in the patient bathroom for another five-minute cycle. A similar process is followed for the critical care unit.

Read the full article here.