Metal ion technologies-What can they kill?
As mentioned in my recent blog, some metals, especially copper and silver, are being used in touchless disinfecting products in medical environments. In that blog I briefly discussed the multiple non-specific parallel mechanisms by which exposure of microorganisms to high concentrations to these...
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...
Do linens and environmental soft surfaces playing a role in the infection process?
Textile products, also called soft surfaces are widely used in the hospital environment. Some of these textiles products or soft surfaces are in direct contact with the patients, such as blankets, sheets, pyjamas, towels, gowns, and pillowcases. Other fabric or textile products are used by the...
What are the standards for contamination levels of surfaces in hospitals?
In our recent blog postings, we have examined some of the growing levels of evidence for contamination (both bacterial and fungal) of high touch surfaces in the environment. In addition those high touch surfaces are the same surfaces that are not only contaminated but also interacted with by...
What environmental factors influence survival of microorganisms on surfaces?
Microorganisms have been found to remain viable in inanimate surfaces from days to even years (1). The longer a microorganism persists on a surface, the longer the contaminated surface may be a source of transmission and thus endanger a susceptible patient or healthcare worker of becoming the target...
What surfaces are contaminated in the hospital environment?
As discussed in my previous posts, bacterial and fungal pathogens can remain viable on inanimate surfaces from days to months and in some cases even years. These organisms can also survive over a wide range of temperatures, humidity, and exposure to sunlight. (1) In the current...
What’s in the environment? A focus on Fungi
Hi, in my previous post I briefly discussed the bacterial pathogens that can contribute to HAI and that are found in the inanimate environment surroundings of the patients. In addition to bacterial pathogens, fungi also pose a significant risk to the patients. For example, among the pathogens...
What's in the environment? A focus on Bacteria
The medical community, by using a wide variety of measures, has succeeded in significantly reducing the number of Healthcare-acquired infections (HAI). However, the causative organisms of HAI have become of significant concern as microorganisms are evolving resistance to the current antimicrobial...