Alamance Regional Joins CDC-Funded Study to Test Effectiveness of Tru-D SmartUVC in Reducing HAIs

Alamance Regional Medical Center of Burlington, N.C., has joined a select group of hospitals participating in a CDC-sponsored infection-reduction study. The two-year study will measure the effectiveness of using advanced, no-touch environmental UV disinfection technology to reduce infections. 

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.

Alamance Regional Medical Center's vision is, in part, to set the statewide standard for excellence and responsiveness. To help achieve that goal, Alamance Regional began using Tru-D SmartUVC in November to disinfect contact isolation rooms at the hospital.

"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 looks 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. The patented SmartUVC technology destroys bacteria, spores and virus and quickly reaches 'hidden' areas underneath beds, tables, sinks, toilets, open cabinets and drawers that are difficult to target and disinfect using traditional cleaning methods. Other UV light systems are unable to measure lethal UV dose, especially in shadowed areas, requiring operators to estimate disinfection cycle times and proper device placement within the room.

Other hospitals involved in the study include Duke University Hospital, North Carolina Memorial Hospital at UNC, Rex Healthcare, High Point Regional Hospital, Durham Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Durham VA Medical Center and Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Alamance Regional and the other participating hospitals are members of the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network.

Tru-D SmartUVC generates a specific dose of ultraviolet-C energy to eliminate surface contamination. "Tru-D's advanced, environmentally friendly germicidal disinfection system has moved disinfection of rooms and equipment to a much higher level than can be achieved through manual, chemical cleaning alone," says Tru-D spokesman Chuck Dunn.

According to Dunn, Tru-D SmartUVC technology is the only ultraviolet disinfection device supported by multiple, independent peer-reviewed studies that provide hospitals with confidence to invest in advanced environmental disinfection. Tru-D with SmartUVC will insure ongoing improvements in patient safety and quality of care.         

Tru-D is an automated cleaning system that uses SmartUVC to accurately measure and deliver the lethal UV dose required to break apart the DNA of bacteria, virus and spores and render them harmless. Clinical research has shown more than a 99.9 percent reduction of C.diff spores using Tru-D's Sensor360(TM) technology. The automated system is engineered to silently disinfect line-of-sight and shadowed surfaces from a single placement within a room, overcoming human error such as missed and difficult-to-reach surfaces, improper chemical applications, and unreliable "blind-dose guessing" associated with questionable outcomes of lesser advanced and disruptive strobe light offerings.