Mayo Clinic has added robots in its fight against Clostridium difficile (C. diff) bacteria.
In the U.S., C. diff is one of the most common infections patients can get while receiving care at a healthcare facility. C. diff can cause a variety of symptoms, including potentially deadly diarrhea. A recent national report shows some progress in reducing C. diff infections; however, more work remains.
“C. diff is extremely distressing for our patients,” says Priya Sampathkumar, MD, chair of Mayo Clinic’s infection control committee on Mayo Clinic’s Rochester campus. “It can be debilitating, decrease quality of life and can even result in death.”
Preventing C. diff can be of enormous benefit to patients. But, C. diff spores are resistant to routine hospital disinfectants and require extra cleaning measures. That’s where the robots come in. These stationary devices emit pulses of ultraviolet (UV) light that kill C. diff spores on exposed surfaces.
Mayo piloted the devices in October 2014 as part of a quality improvement project with the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and five healthcare systems nationwide. During the six-month pilot, Mayo saw a 30 percent decrease in C. diff infections in the group of units that received the robot cleaning compared with the group that did not.
The robots supplement normal cleaning practices, says Larry Nation, director of environmental Ssrvices at Mayo Clinic. The devices go through three cycles in different parts of the patient room and add 25 minutes to the cleaning process.
“It’s worth it, because the average increased length of stays for a person with C. diff is three days,” Sampathkumar says. “If we prevent C. diff infections, we gain that time back.”
Mayo acquired 10 more robots this past fall. After training, employees started using them in early January.
Source: Mayo Clinic
The Next Frontier in Infection Control: AI-Driven Operating Rooms
Published: July 15th 2025 | Updated: July 15th 2025Discover how AI-powered sensors, smart surveillance, and advanced analytics are revolutionizing infection prevention in the OR. Herman DeBoard, PhD, discusses how these technologies safeguard sterile fields, reduce SSIs, and help hospitals balance operational efficiency with patient safety.
Targeting Uncertainty: Why Pregnancy May Be the Best Time to Build Vaccine Confidence
July 15th 2025New national survey data reveal high uncertainty among pregnant individuals—especially first-time parents—about vaccinating their future children, underscoring the value of proactive engagement to strengthen infection prevention.
CDC Urges Vigilance: New Recommendations for Monitoring and Testing H5N1 Exposures
July 11th 2025With avian influenza A(H5N1) infections surfacing in both animals and humans, the CDC has issued updated guidance calling for aggressive monitoring and targeted testing to contain the virus and protect public health.
IP LifeLine: Layoffs and the Evolving Job Market Landscape for Infection Preventionists
July 11th 2025Infection preventionists, once hailed as indispensable during the pandemic, now face a sobering reality: budget pressures, hiring freezes, and layoffs are reshaping the field, leaving many IPs worried about their future and questioning their value within health care organizations.