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Trosch K, Lawrence P, Carenza A, Baumgarten K, Lambert BA, Leger N, Berthelot L, Woosley M, Birx D. The effects of a novel, continuous disinfectant technology on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), fungi, and aerobic bacteria in 2 separate intensive care units in 2 different states: An experimental design with observed impact on health care associated infections (HAIs). Am J Infect Control 2024:S0196-6553(24)00155-X. [PMID: 38614410 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajic.2024.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 03/22/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hospitals are exposed to abundant contamination sources with limited remediation strategies. Without new countermeasures or treatments, the risk of health care-associated infections will remain high. This study explored the impact of advanced photohydrolysis continuous disinfection technology on hospital environmental bioburden. METHODS Two acute care intensive care units in different locations (ie, Kentucky, Louisiana) during different time periods were sampled every 4 weeks for 4 months for colony-forming units (CFUs) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and fungi on surfaces and floors and fungi and aerobic bacteria in the air. RESULTS At both sites, surface testing showed greater than 98% reduction in mean fungi and MRSA CFUs. Floor results had reductions by more than 96% for fungi and MRSA at both sites. Aerobic bacterial air and fungal CFUs had reductions up to 72% and 89%, respectively. HAIs declined 70% when postactivation data were compared to preactivation data. DISCUSSION The continuous nature of advanced photohydrolysis decontamination, its ability to be used in occupied rooms, and its independence of human resources provide an innovative intervention for complex health care environments. CONCLUSIONS This study is on the pioneering edge of demonstrating that continuous decontamination can reduce surface, floor, and air contamination and thereby reduce the acquisition of HAIs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amy Carenza
- Clinical Affairs, ActivePure Technologies, Dallas, TX
| | - Katherine Baumgarten
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Ochsner Health Center-West Bank, Gretna, LA
| | - Beth Ann Lambert
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Ochsner Health Center-West Bank, Gretna, LA
| | - Nattie Leger
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Ochsner Health Center-West Bank, Gretna, LA
| | - Lori Berthelot
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Ochsner Health Center-West Bank, Gretna, LA
| | - Melissa Woosley
- Department of Infection Prevention and Control, Lexington VA Healthcare System, Troy Bowling Campus, Lexington, KY
| | - Deborah Birx
- Clinical Affairs, ActivePure Technologies, Dallas, TX
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Chawla H, Anand P, Garg K, Bhagat N, Varmani SG, Bansal T, McBain AJ, Marwah RG. A comprehensive review of microbial contamination in the indoor environment: sources, sampling, health risks, and mitigation strategies. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1285393. [PMID: 38074709 PMCID: PMC10701447 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1285393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The quality of the indoor environment significantly impacts human health and productivity, especially given the amount of time individuals spend indoors globally. While chemical pollutants have been a focus of indoor air quality research, microbial contaminants also have a significant bearing on indoor air quality. This review provides a comprehensive overview of microbial contamination in built environments, covering sources, sampling strategies, and analysis methods. Microbial contamination has various origins, including human occupants, pets, and the outdoor environment. Sampling strategies for indoor microbial contamination include air, surface, and dust sampling, and various analysis methods are used to assess microbial diversity and complexity in indoor environments. The review also discusses the health risks associated with microbial contaminants, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and their products in indoor air, highlighting the need for evidence-based studies that can relate to specific health conditions. The importance of indoor air quality is emphasized from the perspective of the COVID-19 pandemic. A section of the review highlights the knowledge gap related to microbiological burden in indoor environments in developing countries, using India as a representative example. Finally, potential mitigation strategies to improve microbiological indoor air quality are briefly reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hitikk Chawla
- Institute for Cell Biology and Neuroscience, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Purnima Anand
- Department of Microbiology, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Kritika Garg
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee, India
| | - Neeru Bhagat
- Department of Microbiology, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Shivani G. Varmani
- Department of Biomedical Science, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Tanu Bansal
- Department of Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Andrew J. McBain
- School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ruchi Gulati Marwah
- Department of Microbiology, Bhaskaracharya College of Applied Sciences, University of Delhi, New Delhi, India
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No-Touch Automated Disinfection System Based on Hydrogen Peroxide and Ethyl Alcohol Aerosols for Use in Healthcare Environments. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19084868. [PMID: 35457735 PMCID: PMC9029184 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19084868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Healthcare-related infections are sustained by various bacteria and fungi. In recent years, various technologies have emerged for the sanitation of healthcare-related environments. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a no-touch disinfection system that aerosolizes 5% hydrogen peroxide and 10% ethyl alcohol. After selecting an environment, the Total Bacterial Count and the Total Fungal Count in the air and on a surface of the room were determined to evaluate the effectiveness of the aerosolization system. In addition, sterile stainless-steel plates inoculated with S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and Aspergillus spp. isolated from hospitalized patients and reference strains were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the system. For each organism, three plates were used: A (cleaned), B (not cleaned), and C (control). The A plates were treated with non-ionic surfactant and the aerosolization system, the B plates were subjected to the aerosolization system, and the plates C were positioned outside the room that was sanitized. Following sanitization, air and surface sampling was conducted, after which, swabs were processed for bacterial and fungal enumeration. The results showed that the air sanitization system had good efficacy for both bacteria and fungi in the air and on stainless-steel plates, particularly for the A plates.
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Cozorici D, Măciucă RA, Stancu C, Tihăuan BM, Uță RB, Codrea CI, Matache R, Pop CE, Wolff R, Fendrihan S. Microbial Contamination and Survival Rate on Different Types of Banknotes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19074310. [PMID: 35409990 PMCID: PMC8998619 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
In the COVID-19 pandemic context, numerous concerns have been raised regarding the hygienic status of certain objects we interact with on a daily basis, and especially cash money and their potential to harbor and transmit pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed different currency bills represented by British pounds (5 £, 10 £ and 20 £), Romanian lei (1 leu, 5 lei and 10 lei), U.S. dollars (1 $, 5 $ and 10 $) and Euros (5 €, 10 € and 20 €) in order to evaluate the bacterial survival rate and bacterial adherence. We used five reference microorganisms by American Type Culture Collection (ATCC, Manassas, VA, USA): Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538, Escherichia coli ATCC 8739, Enterococcus sp. ATCC 19952, Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Typhi ATCC 6539, and Listeria monocytogenes ATCC 7644. Microorganisms were selected in accordance with the criteria of prevalence, pathogenicity, opportunism, and incidence. However, Maldi-TOF analysis from samples taken from the banknotes revealed only a few of the common pathogens that are traditionally thought to be found on banknotes. Some of the most important factors for the survival of pathogenic agents on surfaces are the presence of organic matter, temperature and humidity. Our data showed that Salmonella enterica survived 72 h on every banknote tested, while L. monocytogenes tended to improve persistence in humid conditions. Survival rate is also influenced by the substrate composition, being lower for polymer-based banknotes especially for Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes and Enterococcus sp. The adherence of bacterial strains was lower for polymer-based banknotes British pounds and Romanian Leu, in contrast to the cotton-based U.S dollars and Euro banknotes. The risk of bacterial contamination from the banknote bills is high as indicated by both a strong survival capacity and low adherence of tested bacteria with differences between the two types of materials used for the tested banknotes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derniza Cozorici
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, 14 Schitului Str., 032044 Bucharest, Romania or (C.S.); (R.B.U.); (S.F.)
- Department of Bioengineering and Biotechnologies, Faculty of Medical Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Roxana-Alexandra Măciucă
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, 14 Schitului Str., 032044 Bucharest, Romania or (C.S.); (R.B.U.); (S.F.)
- Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91–95 Splaiul Independenței, 050095 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Costel Stancu
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, 14 Schitului Str., 032044 Bucharest, Romania or (C.S.); (R.B.U.); (S.F.)
| | - Bianca-Maria Tihăuan
- Research Institute of the University of Bucharest—ICUB, 91-95 Splaiul Independenței, 050567 Bucharest, Romania;
- Research & Development for Advanced Biotechnologies and Medical Devices, SC Sanimed International Impex SRL, 087040 Călugăreni, Romania
| | - Robert Bogdan Uță
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, 14 Schitului Str., 032044 Bucharest, Romania or (C.S.); (R.B.U.); (S.F.)
| | - Cosmin Iulian Codrea
- “Ilie Murgulescu” Institute of Physical Chemistry, Romanian Academy, 202 Splaiul Independentei, 060021 Bucharest, Romania;
- Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Faculty of Applied Chemistry and Materials Science, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
| | - Răzvan Matache
- National Institute for Research and Development in Environmental Protection, 294 Splaiul Independentei, 060031 Bucharest, Romania;
| | - Cristian-Emilian Pop
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, 14 Schitului Str., 032044 Bucharest, Romania or (C.S.); (R.B.U.); (S.F.)
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Biology, University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independenței, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
- Correspondence:
| | - Robert Wolff
- College of Nursing and Public Health, South University, 9 Science Ct., Columbia, SC 29203, USA;
| | - Sergiu Fendrihan
- Non-Governmental Research Organization Biologic, 14 Schitului Str., 032044 Bucharest, Romania or (C.S.); (R.B.U.); (S.F.)
- Faculty of Medicine, “Vasile Goldis” University, Revoluției Blvd. 94, 310025 Arad, Romania
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Microbial Air Monitoring in Turbulent Airflow Operating Theatres: Is It Possible to Calculate and Hypothesize New Benchmarks for Microbial Air Load? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph181910379. [PMID: 34639680 PMCID: PMC8507732 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph181910379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Multiple studies have demonstrated the presence of microorganisms commonly associated with surgical site infections (SSIs), in the air within the operating theatre (OT). In some countries such Italy, the limit of microbial concentration in the air for OT with turbulent airflows is 35 CFU/m3 for an empty OT and 180 CFU/m3 during activity. This study aims to hypothesize new benchmarks for the airborne microbial load in turbulent airflow operating theatres in operational and at rest conditions using the percentile distribution of data through a 17-year environmental monitoring campaign in various Italian hospitals that implemented a continuous quality improvement policy. The quartile distribution analysis has shown how in operational and at rest conditions, 75% of the values were below 110 CFU/m3 and 18 CFU/m3, respectively, which can be considered a new benchmark for the monitored OTs. During the initial stages of the monitoring campaign, 28.14% of the concentration values in operational conditions and 29.29% of the values in at rest conditions did not conform to the Italian guidelines’ reference values. In contrast, during the last 5 years, all values in both conditions conformed to the reference values and 98.94% of these values were below the new benchmarks. Continuous improvement has allowed contamination to be reduced to levels well below the current reference values.
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