Whole Room Disinfection Takes Off

During the peak waves of the pandemic, facilities turned to the high-tech power of whole room disinfection systems that employ powerful ultraviolet (UV) light or hydrogen peroxide mist to supplement the superior surface cleaning needed to keep harmful pathogens out of ORs. While infection prevention professionals hoped this trend would naturally increase use of whole room disinfection, key factors such as cost and application times have caused some hesitation among facilities interested in adding the technology. Still, UV radiation and hydrogen peroxide misting systems are highly effective at inactivating microorganisms in surgical environments and ideal complements to robust manual cleaning and disinfection processes. If you’re considering a whole room disinfection system, here’s a straightforward look at what the latest iterations of this tech can do for you — as well as the challenges you’re likely to face in implementing it.

UV radiation — also called UV germicidal irradiation (UVGI) — is a no-touch technology used for the elimination of microorganisms in the environment. The units or robots that perform the disinfecting are strategically placed in an area of the room to hit as many surfaces as possible.

Using UV as a whole room disinfectant is a high-tech surface disinfection solution that can remove the human-error factor. You’re not relying solely on a staff member’s ability to reach a certain area of the room, scrub for a certain duration or make sure that every surface remains wet for the appropriate dwell time.

As a safety feature, most of the latest units operate on a delay to give the operator sufficient time to leave the room before the process begins — or they’re equipped with a remote to start the unit from outside the room. Another added safety feature: Occupancy sensors that shut the unit off if motion is detected.

Those are the benefits. On the deterrent side, there’s the time it takes to get staff to operate the systems efficiently. Users must be trained on how to not only set up the units correctly, but also to transport them safely — the machines can be delicate, and they aren’t cheap. UV systems can range from $3,000 to $20,000. Typically, a select few staff members are authorized to transport and maintain the equipment, as it’s not something you want to move around haphazardly.

These staff members must be skilled at strategically placing the units where they’re sure to disinfect as many surfaces as possible. This is the greatest challenge of UV radiation, and staff must consider many factors, including: how many obstacles are in the room that will prevent the UV light from reaching all the surfaces; how far away the machine is from certain areas of the room (this varies based on the unit, but some manufacturers’ claim a reach of up to 14 feet); and if the machine itself is clean (dust on the lamps reduce the wavelength of light reaching the surfaces). 

Whole room disinfection is a supportive process, but not a standard one. Though UV radiation and hydrogen peroxide misting help to disinfect areas missed by even the most meticulous manual processes, they aren’t yet used in every outpatient facility.

One of the greatest challenges in adding whole room technology to your center’s workflow is making sure every staff member who operates these systems is properly educated on how to use the platforms correctly. Require them to show competency periodically — at least on an annual basis, but ideally more frequently (quarterly or semi-annually).

In my experience in infection prevention, I’ve seen UV radiation technology used much more frequently than hydrogen peroxide misting. There are a few likely reasons for this. UV light is a bit more effective than hydrogen peroxide as the mode of disinfection is not reliant on an organism’s susceptibility to a specific chemical. There are fewer potential health side effects, and you don’t need to worry about chemicals damaging equipment. That said, both technologies are effective for whole room disinfection and should be used to supplement manual cleaning and disinfection processes.

UV radiation and hydrogen peroxide misting cannot replace effective manual cleaning. Whole room disinfection should be viewed as an added weapon in your infection prevention arsenal. For instance, if a facility with a strong manual cleaning and disinfecting program is continuing to see environmental transmissions, particularly of organisms such as MRSA and C. diff, whole room technology will bolster the effectiveness of preventing infections in patients and potentially staff.

Infection prevention and control is always evolving. Infection preventionists like myself are employed to provide the safest care that we can for patients and staff. Whole room disinfection technologies can help your facility do just that. It’s important to note that the CDC does not make any definitive recommendations on the use of UV radiation or chemical misting for surface disinfection, and more research is required to support its effectiveness. That said, as more facilities turn to the technology to bolster their manual disinfection processes, and prove its efficacy, the more likely we are to see whole room disinfection become standard practice. OSM