Micro Blog

Micro Blog

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the Bioquell micro-blog (see what we did there). The world of research doesn’t stand still and key papers are published all the time. The purpose of micro-blog is to help you to keep abreast of the literature regarding the role of the environment in the transmission of pathogens and attempts to improve cleaning and disinfection. This will work best if you contribute to the discussion on these articles so if you have any reflections that you’d like to share please go ahead. We hope this blog will prompt some thought-provoking, challenging and fruitful discussion.

Dr Jon Otter and Dr Saber Yezli,

Bioquell Healthcare

jon.otter@bioquell.com

 

The information contained on this blog is for academic and educational purposes only. Titles and institutional affiliation for the individuals who contribute to this blog are for identification purposes only. The opinions expressed are solely those of the blog post author and do not represent the views of any organisation that the post author is affiliated with.

Micro Blog

Is superoxidised water destined to be an environment superhero?

Is superoxidised water destined to be an environment superhero?

Published on 16th May 2013

The latest research study, coming from the Cleveland VA, evaluated an electrochemically activated saline solution, also known as ‘superoxidized water’.

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SHEA 2013 environment track – conference report

SHEA 2013 environment track – conference report

Published on 10th May 2013

When I started doing research in this area a little over 10 years ago, the role of the environment in transmission was rarely mentioned at international conferences. So, to see an entire conference dedicated to discussing the role of the environment in transmission (SHEA 2013, in Atlanta) was a mouthwatering prospect.

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An environmental odyssey

An environmental odyssey

Published on 3rd May 2013

Research from the Cleveland VA tells a fascinating story of sequential interventions to reduce environmental contamination with C. difficile.

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How the implementation of hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) could save you money

How the implementation of hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) could save you money

Published on 23rd April 2013

A recent study by Johns Hopkins published in the recent ICHE special issue sampled a selection of supplies to quantify the risk, counted the cost of their current policy and found a potential solution in the use of hydrogen peroxide vapour (HPV) for the disinfection of the supplies.

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Can the introduction of 6 copper items into ICU rooms really reduce the rate of HAI by >50%?

Can the introduction of 6 copper items into ICU rooms really reduce the rate of HAI by >50%?

Published on 17th April 2013

The recently published copper study indicates that the introduction of a small number of copper alloy hand-touch sites reduces the rate of HAI by more than 50%. Is this too good to be true?

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ICHE special edition on the role of the environment in transmission

ICHE special edition on the role of the environment in transmission

Published on 10th April 2013

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology have dedicated their May issue to articles investigating the role of contaminated surfaces in the transmission of pathogens.

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Evidence that iphones are less contaminated than blackberrys?

Evidence that iphones are less contaminated than blackberrys?

Published on 2nd April 2013

A study from UCL in London provides evidence that the keypad of the blackberry is likely to be more contaminated than the touchscreen of the iphone. Overall, 13% of the phones grew either MRSA or VRE, highlighting the potential importance of these sites in transmission. Appropriate disinfection policies are urgently required for these personal, mobile reservoirs of contamination.

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How long does it take to clean a hospital room properly?

How long does it take to clean a hospital room properly?

Published on 26th March 2013

You would expect that longer cleaning times would result in more thorough room cleaning. However, the authors of this study used a fluorescent market to evaluate the thoroughness of cleaning and found no correlation between the length of time cleaning a room and the thoroughness of cleaning.

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Micro Blog Spring 2013 update

Micro Blog Spring 2013 update

Published on 22nd March 2013

This post summarises the blog entries over the last few months. Happy Easter!

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More single rooms = less acquisition. A simple equation?

More single rooms = less acquisition. A simple equation?

Published on 20th March 2013

Many hospitals worldwide suffer a chronic lack of single rooms to place patients requiring contact precautions, but also for patients with other needs such as increased privacy and dignity. There are pros and cons associated with increasing the proportion of single rooms, with a high proportion of single rooms usually requiring a higher staff:patient ratio, and patients in single rooms often having less staff contact and more likely to suffer feelings of isolation.

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