Infection Prevention Research Group Confirms Impact of Continuous UV-C Robots

In a peer-reviewed study (http://www.ajicjournal.org/article/S0196-6553(15)00757-9/abstract) published in the December issue of the American Journal of Infection Control, researchers documented that using Infection Prevention Technologies (IPT) NextGen UV™ disinfection robots and a dedicated team of trained operators resulted in significant reductions of healthcare acquired infections. The study was conducted over a six-month period at Hollywood Community Hospital/Brotman Medical Center campus. 
  
The study demonstrated significant reductions in multiple harmful pathogens including a 42.7 percent decrease in the incidence of Clostridium difficile infections, a 71.4 percent decrease in Acinetobacter baumannii infections, and a 100 percent drop in Klebsiella pneumoniae infections. 
  
Tom Kenny, IPT's CEO notes, "While many studies highlight a disease reduction in a small area of the hospital, this study was conducted hospital-wide. 95 percent of the rooms in the entire facility were treated. These results are compelling evidence for the efficacy of our state-of-the-art UV robots and the benefits of using skilled robot operators."  The overall HAI incidence rate was reduced 34.2% during the intervention period.
  
Kenny continues, "Not only is the ROI demonstrably high but based on the total reduction of HAI incidents and the average cost of an HAI re-admission, the derived cost-savings is nearly $250,000 in just 6 months. That's huge.  The bottom line is serious cost avoidance and a much safer environment for both patients and staff." 
  
Clean Sweep Group Inc. (CSGI), an infection prevention and disinfection training, sales, and services provider based in Beverly Hills, Calif., supplied and managed the trained operators and implemented a refined methodology for implementation of the UVC technology.  Clean Sweep's president, Leo Williams, pointed out, "The dedicated service model for deploying UV disinfection technology both lessens the already heavy work burden on the EVS staff and allows for a much higher utilization of the disinfection robots.  Clean Sweep implements a strategic and consistent UV implementation design that results in a highly effective UV program."
  
Reference: Napolitano NA, Mahapatra T and Tang W. The effectiveness of UV-C radiation for facility-wide environmental disinfection to reduce health care-acquired infections.  American Journal of Infection Control.  Published online August 12, 2015.
  
Source: Infection Prevention Technologies, LLC