Doylestown Hospital’s newest weapon against hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) looks a little like R2-D2 from Star Wars. The new Xenex disinfecting system uses ultraviolet (UV-C) light that is 20,000 times more powerful than the sun to ‘zap’ nasty organisms that cause infections like the flu, norovirus, MRSA and Clostridium difficile. In minutes, the device can disinfect a patient room, patient bathroom or operating room by pulsing the light, which washes over the surfaces where germs reside.
Doylestown Hospital is the third hospital in Pennsylvania to implement the Xenex system. About 100 hospitals nationwide are using the system, aimed at reducing rates of infection and saving costs. And it’s safe. Because the light is extremely intense, the machine operates on its own once it’s set up in a room. A sign placed outside the door warns people not to enter, and a motion sensor automatically shuts off the machine if someone should enter.
The Xenex system is an added layer of protection being used in addition to the hospital’s current stringent sanitation methods. Environmental services personnel will use the Xenex machine after doing their usual thorough disinfection of patient rooms following patient discharge, or after a day’s procedures in the OR.
Source: Xenex Healthcare Services
