Environmental Services

Room disinfection using hydrogen peroxide (HP) "fogging" methods has been shown to eradicate or significantly reduce methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (C. diff), vancomycin-resistent Enterococci (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumanni in healthcare settings.

Like other healthcare professionals, emergency medical service (EMS) personnel face the growing number of multidrug-resistant organisms. In addition to protecting themselves from possible infection, EMS providers must ensure that their vehicles and equipment are adequately cleaned and disinfected so as not to expose future patients.

Manufacturers make claims about their products' efficacy in killing disease-causing pathogens, but what do infection preventionists really know about the validity of these claims? In a series of articles, we'll take a look at what practitioners in infection prevention should understand about the science behind label claims and marketing hype, including the FDA clearance and EPA registration processes, as well as testing protocols that preceded a product's appearance in the marketplace. In this first article, we talk to Wallace Puckett, PhD, vice president of science and technology for STERIS Corporation, about the knowledge gaps that currently exist relating to research and development of disinfectants, antibacterials, antimicrobials, microbicides and sporicides.

Some people enjoy evaluating new technologies and sometimes it is part of their job description and they are overwhelmed by all the possibilities of products to review. Often the first person to evaluate a new technology or solution for an infection control-related problem is the infection preventionist (IP).