Researchers Find No-Touch Systems Should be Used in Terminal Room Disinfection

In advance of the publication of the first-ever, randomized clinical trial on UV disinfection, the Benefits of Enhanced Terminal Room Disinfection (BETR-D) study, researchers are making bold claims in the case of UV disinfection. A recent paper, "No touch technologies for environmental decontamination: focus on ultraviolet devices and hydrogen peroxide systems" (Weber, et al, 2016) stresses the importance and efficacy of UV disinfection systems such as Tru-D SmartUVC.

Since the environment has been proven to play a role in the transmission of hospital-acquired infections, the authors concluded that, “Hospitals should use a ‘no touch’ device for terminal room decontamination after discharge of patients on contact precautions.” Further, they found that admittance to a room previously occupied by a colonized or infected patient results in an increased risk of acquiring that pathogen by 39 percent to 353 percent.

“Tru-D SmartUVC and its patented Sensor360 technology continues to be validated by top researchers in the industry,” said Chuck Dunn, CEO and president of Tru-D SmartUVC. “As more research becomes available including the landmark BETR-D study in which more than 25,000 patient rooms were disinfected with Tru-D, hospitals will adopt best practices and incorporate UV disinfection as a critical step in their cleaning strategies.”

Prior studies have demonstrated that some UV disinfection systems are effective in eliminating statistically significant numbers of harmful pathogens from room surfaces. However, according to the authors, “The multitude of commercially available devices makes choosing a specific device difficult. UV devices may vary because of differences in UV wavelength, bulb size, energy output, ability to measure energy delivery, and cost.” The researchers continue, stating, “Healthcare providers should rely on the peer-reviewed literature to validate specific devices prior to purchase.”

The pioneer in UV disinfection, Tru-D was the only device of its kind selected for the first-ever randomized, clinical trial on UVC disinfection because of its Sensor360 technology that eliminates any chance of human error in the disinfection process. Results of the landmark BETR-D study proved that enhanced terminal room disinfection strategies decreased the cumulative incidence of multidrug-resistant organisms by 30 percent, and the largest decreases were seen when Tru-D was added to the standard cleaning strategy. In addition, Tru-D has been validated by a dozen other independent, third-party studies with no conflict of interest disclosures.

“Tru-D is the most studied device of its kind and continues to be backed by sound science,” said Dunn. “We take pride in the research behind our product, which is why Tru-D is the gold standard in the UV disinfection space.”

Once an EVS staff member cleans a room with traditional methods, Tru-D is brought in to complete the disinfection process. Operating from a single position and administering a single cycle of UV light, Tru-D kills up to 99.9 percent of multidrug-resistant organisms that are left behind. Providing total room disinfection, Tru-D is able to disinfect both line-of-sight as well as indirect, shadowed areas.

Source: Tru-D SmartUVC