UK Health Organizations Fight HAIs Through New Technologies

Patients at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust will be among the first in the country to benefit from new infection-beating technologies as the organization is named as a showcase trust. The Trust is one of only seven organizations in the UK to test a range of new healthcare-associated infection technologies including a vapor decontaminating robot.

In its role as a designated showcase trust it will test the effectiveness, practicality and patient experience of six new technologies that have been designed to reduce levels of infection, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections and Clostridium difficile.

The showcase organizations will give expert help to make the most successful products more widely available.

The Trust’s showcase project manager, Anthony Sewell, said, “What this means is that we are speeding up the time it takes for proven infection prevention technologies to be introduced into a healthcare setting. While our patients will be the first to benefit, the work we are doing will enable hospitals across the country to fight infections like MRSA and C. difficile more effectively.”

The technologies being trialed include a vapor decontaminating robot that works by measuring the dimensions of a sealed room and then emitting hydrogen peroxide vapor, which is proven to kill antibiotic-resistant organisms such as MRSA on surfaces including monitors and ventilators.

The other devices and cleaning-related technologies being evaluated are: a special silver-alloy catheter, a new skin decontaminant, two bowel management systems and a new bacteria-monitoring system

Director of infection prevention and control, Dr. Alison Holmes, added, “This is a landmark project. While there is still much work to be done across the Trust in improving patient safety and experience, we have significantly reduced our rates of infection over the last year. This expertise and whole organizational commitment to infection prevention has been reinforced by our selection as a showcase trust for the NHS.”

The current trials for the infection-fighting technology commenced in June and are expected to last for approximately six months.

The showcase project is taking place at a time of continued strong infection prevention and control performance at the Trust with the latest data for July showing that the Trust was meeting and exceeding its reduction targets for MRSA and C.difficile cases.

Source: Imperial College Healthcare