Metal ion technologies-How do they work?
Several metals, such as manganese, zinc, magnesium, iron and copper, are essential elements required for the survival and normal function of microorganisms. For example, some of these metals are enzyme cofactors that without their precise interaction these enzymes cannot function. Since metals are...
How effective are UV or misting technologies?
Chemical fumigation was used in the 1960s to supplement standard environmental surface disinfection in hospital isolation rooms (1). As mentioned in my last blog, the CDC in their Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control in Health-Care Facilities, recommend against using chemical fogging due...
Touchless Disinfecting- mist and emitting technologies (UV and Hydrogen peroxide)-How do they work?
As discussed in earlier blogs, microorganisms can survive in the environment for long periods of time and it has become clear that eliminating microorganisms from the patient immediate and non-immediate surroundings significantly contributes to the reduction of HAIs. It has also become clear that...
Disinfectants-How do they work?
We have previously reviewed the how, the what and the who of disinfection , but in this post we want to look in more detail at how disinfectants work. There are a number of disinfectants, and manufacturers to choose from, but in this post we are going to look at the mode of action of the major...
Sterilizers-What can they kill?
As we have previously reviewed (here), we now know how sterilizers work. The next logical question therefore is not only how do they work but what can they kill? As we reviewed sterilization can occur via a wide variety of methods including physical, heat or chemical sterilization. Sterilizers by...
Sterilizers-How do they work?
In our last series of posts we reviewed the options for manual cleaning and disinfection , as well as the options for touchless disinfection technologies to complement manual disinfection. In the next series of posts we will dive more deeply into what makes up some of the disinfection agents from...
A summary of manual cleaning and disinfection, and touchless disinfection technologies
A variety of our recent posts have looked at both manual cleaning and disinfection, how effective manual efforts are, and touchless disinfection technology to complement manual cleaning regimes. We also reviewed what data is available and how to rate that data when considering investing in a...
What levels of evidence need to be considered when reviewing a touchless disinfection system?
In the last post my colleague Dr Vikram Kanmukhla reviewed in detail the options for touchless disinfection systems as add on to manual cleaning and disinfection processes. In that post he reviewed the variety and depth of technologies. One of the overarching comments to that post is that all of...
Touchless or no-touch technologies for cleaning and disinfection
In the previous two posts , my colleagues have discussed the choice of disinfectants for manual cleaning and effectiveness (or ineffectiveness) of manual cleaning. In this post, I would like to discuss the range of technologies available to assist with patient room cleaning & disinfection. These...