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. 2010 Jul 8:10:197.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2334-10-197.

Evaluation of an automated ultraviolet radiation device for decontamination of Clostridium difficile and other healthcare-associated pathogens in hospital rooms

Michelle M Nerandzic  1 , Jennifer L Cadnum, Michael J Pultz, Curtis J Donskey
Affiliations

Evaluation of an automated ultraviolet radiation device for decontamination of Clostridium difficile and other healthcare-associated pathogens in hospital rooms

Michelle M Nerandzic et al. BMC Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Environmental surfaces play an important role in transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. There is a need for new disinfection methods that are effective against Clostridium difficile spores, but also safe, rapid, and automated.

Methods: The Tru-D Rapid Room Disinfection device is a mobile, fully-automated room decontamination technology that utilizes ultraviolet-C irradiation to kill pathogens. We examined the efficacy of environmental disinfection using the Tru-D device in the laboratory and in rooms of hospitalized patients. Cultures for C. difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) were collected from commonly touched surfaces before and after use of Tru-D.

Results: On inoculated surfaces, application of Tru-D at a reflected dose of 22,000 microWs/cm(2) for approximately 45 minutes consistently reduced recovery of C. difficile spores and MRSA by >2-3 log10 colony forming units (CFU)/cm2 and of VRE by >3-4 log10 CFU/cm(2). Similar killing of MRSA and VRE was achieved in approximately 20 minutes at a reflected dose of 12,000 microWs/cm(2), but killing of C. difficile spores was reduced. Disinfection of hospital rooms with Tru-D reduced the frequency of positive MRSA and VRE cultures by 93% and of C. difficile cultures by 80%. After routine hospital cleaning of the rooms of MRSA carriers, 18% of sites under the edges of bedside tables (i.e., a frequently touched site not easily amenable to manual application of disinfectant) were contaminated with MRSA, versus 0% after Tru-D (P < 0.001). The system required <5 minutes to set up and did not require continuous monitoring.

Conclusions: The Tru-D Rapid Room Disinfection device is a novel, automated, and efficient environmental disinfection technology that significantly reduces C. difficile, VRE and MRSA contamination on commonly touched hospital surfaces.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Picture of the Tru-D device placed inside a hospital room.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Mean reduction (log10colony-forming units [CFU]/cm2) in recovery of multiple strains of Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) from laboratory bench top surfaces after the use of the Tru-D device. For each pathogen, the inoculum applied to the bench top was adjusted such that 103 to 105 CFU were recovered from the positive control specimens. The Tru-D device was operated at a reflected dose of 22,000 μWs/cm2 for ~45 minutes.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Mean reduction (log10colony-forming units [CFU]/cm2) in recovery of 3 strains of Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) from laboratory bench top surfaces after the use of the Tru-D device at reflected doses ranging from 5,000 to 22,000 μWs/cm2.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Mean number of colony-forming units (CFU) of Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) recovered from contaminated surfaces in hospital rooms before and after disinfection with the Tru-D device. Two-hundred sixty-one total surfaces from 66 rooms were cultured, including call lights, bedside tables, telephones, and bed rails.
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