A study by Sciortino and Giles (2012) published in the American Journal of Infection Control has validated that ATP testing is an effective tool for monitoring the cleanliness of hospital surfaces. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) detection systems measure the amount of organic materials in a sample, such as blood, mucus, bacteria, and viruses. When used to verify the cleanliness of hospital surfaces, ATP testing results indicate whether a surface needs to be re-cleaned or cleaning methods need to be changed.
The study concludes that ATP testing is effective in monitoring sanitation in hospitals. ATP is stable over a ten-day period, unperturbed by sanitizer, and is removed with effective cleaning.
In the study, hospital surfaces were treated with three representative bacteria and blood as biological sources of ATP. Three different ATP detection systems were evaluated and compared.
Some of the study criteria used were the linearity of ATP detection, limit of detection, lack of interference from other substances, swabbing efficiency, clinical sensitivity, reportable range, measure of cleanliness after cleaning, and test variability. Of the three tests, only the Charm Sciences novaLUM and PocketSwab Plus system was verified for use in hospitals without protocol modification.
Reference:Â Sciortino CV and Giles RA. Validation and comparison of three adenosine triphosphate luminometers for monitoring hospital surface sanitization: A Rosetta Stone for adenosine triphosphate testing. American Journal of Infection Control . October 2012. 40(08) e233-9.
Source: Charm Sciences, Inc.
An Infection Preventionist Considers Why Manufacturers Need to Update IFUs
July 11th 2024Katharine J. Hoffman, MPH, CIC, LSSGB: It’s time to take the devil out of the details in interpreting and successfully following manufacturers' instructions for use; why do manufacturers need to update IFUs?
New ANSI/AAMI Standard Transforms Ethylene Oxide Sterilization in Health Care
July 8th 2024The updated ANSI/AAMI ST24 standard outlines requirements for ethylene oxide sterilizers in health care, addressing advancements, regulatory changes, and new technology to enhance sterilization practices and safety.
Streamlining Hospital Communication: Reducing Noise and Improving Patient Care
June 27th 2024TigerConnect's secure text-based platform, led by Will O'Connor, MD, reduces noise, minimizes wait times, and improves patient care through efficient clinical workflow coordination and nurse burnout alleviation.