SAN DIEGO, Nov. 8, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — In a presentation at IDWeek 2012, and reported in Medscape Medical News, Deverick Anderson, MD, MPH, from the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network, issued an announcement that in a multicenter, prospective study, Tru-D SmartUVC was effective in decreasing levels of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE), Clostridium difficile, and Acinetobacter both by direct line-of-sight and indirect (reflected) illumination.
"The environment plays a role in the transmission of pathogens in hospitalized patients," said Anderson. "Many hospital surfaces aren't cleaned appropriately even in the best of situations…[and bacteria] can live on the environment long enough to be present when the next patient comes in."
Hospitals are faced with the challenge of eliminating germs that have become increasingly resistant to antibiotic therapies. On average, Anderson said, "50% of hospital room surfaces get missed in a terminal cleaning of a room between patients," especially objects such as light switches and remote controls.
For this interventional study, performed in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, researchers identified patients under contact precautions with infections at tertiary care centers involving 9 hospitals. Twenty-seven rooms housed patients with VRE, 10 with C difficile, and 2 with Acinetobacter species. After patients were discharged, researchers took 3 environmental cultures from each of 5 or more locations in each patient room before terminal room cleaning. Culture sites included the bedside rail, bedside table, chair arm, over-bed table, sink, supply cart, toilet, shower floor, and bathroom floor next to the toilet.
Each room was then treated with Tru-D SmartUVC™. Tru-D uses sophisticated SmartUVC technology to generate a specific dose of ultraviolet-C energy to significantly reduce germs found on surfaces. Patented sensors monitor reflected ultraviolet light to determine when a reliable, pathogen-lethal dose has been delivered to all targeted surfaces. After treatment, each culture site was again sampled.
Results showed a statistically significant reduction in CFUs occurred in both direct and indirect (reflected) line of sight after UVC treatment in all 39 rooms. Pre/post results:
- VRE reduction from 712 CFU to 25 CFU
- C difficile reduction from 724 CFU to 51 CFU
- Acinetobacter reduction from 51 CFU to 1 CFU
Investigators concluded that Tru-D significantly decreased the burden of VRE and C difficile pathogens in patient rooms after patients were discharged, and that treatments were effective through both direct and reflected (indirect) exposure in real-world settings.
Dr. Anderson emphasized that the UVC treatment was performed before the standard terminal cleaning of the rooms between patients. "Essentially what we were trying to do is stack the cards against the machine, and even in that situation, it worked quite well," he said.
The "…environment is a very strong player in driving infection," added conference moderator Liise-Anne Pirofski, MD, chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center in New York City. "The public is extremely concerned about infections…" said Pirofski. "Innovation that assures the public that their [hospital] rooms are protected brings a lot of public confidence."
Lumalier Inc, the manufacturer of Tru-D SmartUVC, lent 8 machines but had no input into the study design, data review, or poster presentation. Dr. Anderson is a grant investigator and is on the Speaker's Bureau of Merck. Dr. Pirofski has disclosed no relevant financial relationships.
IDWeek 2012. Abstract 929. Presented October 19, 2012.
Tru-D is an automated cleaning system that uses SmartUVC™ to accurately measure and deliver the lethal UV dose required to break apart the DNA of bacteria, virus and spores and render them harmless. Clinical research has shown more than a 99.9 percent reduction of C.diff spores using Tru-D's Sensor360™ technology. The automated system is engineered to silently disinfect line-of-sight and shadowed surfaces from a single placement within a room, overcoming human error such as missed and difficult-to-reach surfaces, improper chemical applications, and unreliable "blind-dose guessing" associated with less advanced offerings.
For Tru-D information, please go to Tru-D.com for published clinical studies, or call 800-774-5799 to speak to Chuck Dunn.