Research to be Presented at APIC Demonstrates Efficacy of Clorox Product Solutions

New clinical research on the efficacy of advanced ultraviolet (UV) surface treatment technology being presented at the 42nd Annual Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) Educational Conference & International Meeting, June 27-29 in Nashville, provides evidence of the effectiveness of Clorox Healthcare’s product portfolio.

The findings of two new scientific posters evaluating the efficacy and performance of the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System in clinical settings will be presented at APIC on Saturday, June 27 from 12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Exhibit Hall A in the Music City Center. Details of these presentations are as follows:

• “Coming to the Light: Impact of Ultraviolet Technology on Incidence of Pseudomonas in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit”: Sonya Mauzey, RN, BS, CIC, Infection Preventionist at the Women's Hospital in Newburgh, Indiana, will present the results of her facility’s intervention using the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System, in addition to its existing infection control quality measures, on the incidence of Pseudomonas in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs).

• “Evaluating the Efficacy of UV Technology in Acute Care”: Maurice E. Croteau and Tawnya M. Grover, RN, BSN will present the findings of a preliminary study that describes the performance of the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System in two hospitals when used in tandem with manual surface disinfection methods.

“Environmental contamination can put the especially vulnerable infants we treat in the NICU at risk for infection, and the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System provides an extra layer of assurance by treating surfaces that may have been missed during routine cleaning,” Mauzey says. “We want our patients to have the best and safest care possible, so optimizing cleaning and disinfection and validating the efficacy of our infection prevention protocols is a priority.”

Complimentary copies of both posters will be available at the Clorox Healthcare booth #1000.

In addition to UV technology, Clorox Healthcare will showcase a newly redesigned skin cleansing kit as part of a comprehensive portfolio of product solutions to help healthcare professionals in their ongoing fight to eliminate healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and improve compliance with infection control protocols.

Clorox Healthcare will unveil a new look and configuration for the Clorox Healthcare® 4% CHG Skin Cleansing Kit to support improved standardization and patient compliance with skin cleansing protocols. With protocol standardization and repetitive application, preoperative skin cleansing with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) has been shown to be an effective, low-risk and low-cost intervention to reduce a crucial risk factor for infection.(1)

Now adaptable for most preoperative skin cleansing protocols, the Clorox Healthcare® 4% CHG Skin Cleansing Kit provides patients and healthcare professionals everything in one place for convenient cleansing. Each individual pack contains:
• six (instead of three) disposable polyester blend washcloths
• 4-ounce bottle of 4% CHG solution
• Waterproof Bilingual Directions for Use card (for use in the shower)

To empower patients to be more compliant, the kit also includes additional tools such as an automatic patient reminder system, instructions-for-use video and a dedicated patient website. As part of this redesign, Aplicare® Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution Bottles are now Clorox Healthcare™ Chlorhexidine Gluconate Solution Bottles. The name is different, but the product formulations remain the same.

HAI and surgical site infection prevention in healthcare settings requires a bundled approach that combines environmental surface treatment using easy-to-use, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered cleaner disinfectants, with Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved preoperative skin cleansing antiseptic agents for a total approach to infection risk factors and patient safety. Clorox Healthcare manual disinfectants, such as Clorox Healthcare® Bleach Germicidal Wipes and Cleaners, remain a trusted and proven solution to help hospitals combat some of the most common and harmful HAIs, such as C. difficile, the most commonly reported pathogen in hospitals. The products are also designed to work with the Clorox Healthcare™ Optimum-UV™ System as part of a bundled approach to infection prevention.

“The impact of infections linked to C. difficile, norovirus and other multidrug-resistant organisms goes far beyond just the patient. These infections can paralyze a healthcare facility, its visitors and staff, and even the economy,” says Rosie Lyles, MD, MHA, MSc., Head of Clinical Affairs, Clorox Healthcare. “Clorox Healthcare knows that successful infection prevention strategies require a horizontal approach which is why we continue to provide effective solutions?from comprehensive surface treatment options to preoperative skin cleansing products?that are designed to work together in all patient settings (e.g., general wards, intensive care units) that are susceptible to pathogen transmission.”

Reference: 1. Edmiston CE, Bruden B, Rucinski MC, Henen C, Graham MB, Lewis BL. “Reducing the risk of surgical site infections: Does Chlorhexidine gluconate provide a risk reduction benefit?” American Journal of Infection Control 41.5(2013): S49-S55.

Source: Clorox Healthcare