Evaluation of a far ultraviolet-C device for decontamination of portable equipment in clinical areas.

Contaminated portable equipment may contribute to transmission of health care-associated pathogens. We demonstrated that a wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C light technology that delivers far ultraviolet-C only when people are not present was effective in reducing contamination on in-use patient transport chairs and physical therapy equipment in equipment rooms. The technology could potentially be used as an adjunctive measure for decontamination of portable equipment in clinical areas.

Dilution dysfunction: evaluation of automated disinfectant dispenser systems in 10 hospitals demonstrates a need for improved monitoring to ensure that correct disinfectant concentrations are delivered.

Automated dispensers that dilute concentrated disinfectants with water are commonly used in healthcare facilities. In a point-prevalence product evaluation, 9 of 10 (90%) hospitals using dilutable disinfectants had 1 or more malfunctioning dispensers. Twenty-nine of 107 (27.

Incubation period of infection in hospitalized patients and long-term care facility residents: a prospective cohort study.

Background: The incubation period for infection (CDI) is generally considered to be less than 1 week, but some recent studies suggest that prolonged carriage prior to disease onset may be common.

Objective: To estimate the incubation period for patients developing CDI after initial negative cultures.

Methods: In 3 tertiary care medical centers, we conducted a cohort study to identify hospitalized patients and long-term care facility residents with negative initial cultures for followed by a diagnosis of CDI with or without prior detection of carriage.

Effect of Ceftaroline, Ceftazidime/Avibactam, Ceftolozane/Tazobactam, and Meropenem/Vaborbactam on Establishment of Colonization by Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococci and in Mice.

Background: The potential for promotion of intestinal colonization with healthcare-associated pathogens by new antibiotics used to treat infections due to multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli is unclear.

Methods: Mice treated for 3 days with daily subcutaneous phosphate-buffered saline (control), ceftazidime/avibactam, ceftolozane/tazobactam, ceftaroline, and meropenem/vaborbactam were challenged with 10,000 colony-forming units (CFU) of vancomycin-resistant (VRE) resistant to each of the antibioics or carbapenemase-producing 1 day after the final treatment dose. The concentrations of VRE or in stool were measured on days 1, 3, 6, and 15 after challenge.

Evaluation of an automated far ultraviolet-C light technology for decontamination of surfaces and aerosolized viruses in bathrooms.

Background: Aerosols generated during toilet flushing are a potential source for transmission of viral and bacterial pathogens in bathrooms. However, manual decontamination of bathrooms after each use is not feasible.

Methods: We tested the efficacy of a wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology that only delivers far UV-C when people are not present for decontamination of surfaces and aerosolized viral particles in an unoccupied hospital bathroom.

A far ultraviolet-C light technology is effective for decontamination of items in proximity to sinks and is enhanced by a far UV-C reflective surface.

Background: Dispersal of gram-negative bacilli from sink drains has been implicated as a source of transmission in multiple outbreaks.

Methods: In an acute care hospital, we assessed how often patient care supplies and other frequently touched items were within 1 meter of sink drains. We tested the efficacy of a ceiling-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology for decontamination of sink bowls and surfaces near sinks with and without a wall-mounted film that reflects far UV-C light.

A novel approach for safe and automated implementation of far ultraviolet-C light decontamination in clinical areas.

A novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology providing automated delivery of far UV-C only when people are not present reduced methicillin-resistant in a patient room and equipment room. The safety feature that discontinues far UV-C output when people are detected was effective in preventing far UV-C exposure.

Evaluation of a wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C light device used for continuous air and surface decontamination in a dental office during routine patient care.

A wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C light device used for continuous air and surface decontamination in a dental office reduced aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 and methicillin-resistant on steel disks by >3 log in 2 hours in unshaded areas in a procedure room. Far ultraviolet-C delivery was substantially reduced in shaded areas.

Identifying and Remediating Super-splasher Sinks to Reduce Dispersal of Pathogens From Sink Drains.

Testing for dispersal of fluorescent gel from sink drains was sensitive for detection of sinks that dispersed gram-negative bacilli outside the bowl. Reducing the flow rate of sinks with rapid water inflow and/or elimination of obstruction leading to slow outflow was effective in preventing dispersal of fluorescence and gram-negative bacilli.

A coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in a residential living facility with suboptimal ventilation in resident rooms.

We report a large outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in a residential living facility. Measurements of carbon dioxide levels, aerosol particle clearance, and airflow were used to identify and remediate areas with suboptimal ventilation. A simple intervention involving continuous operation of bathroom fans was effective in significantly improving ventilation in resident rooms.

Molecular Epidemiology of Colonization in Families With Infants.

Background: Community-associated infection is a major public health hazard to adults and older children. Infants frequently excrete toxigenic asymptomatically in their stool, but their importance as a community reservoir of is uncertain.

Methods: Families of healthy infants were recruited at the baby's 4-month well child visit and were followed longitudinally until the baby was approximately 9 months old.

Evaluation of an Automated Wall-mounted Far Ultraviolet-C Light Technology for Continuous or Intermittent Decontamination of on Surfaces.

Background: Technologies that provides safe and effective decontamination of surfaces and equipment between episodes of manual cleaning could be an important advance in efforts to prevent transmission of the emerging fungal pathogen .

Methods: We tested the efficacy of a novel wall-mounted far ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light technology that delivers far UV-C, when people are not detected within the field of illumination, against isolates from clades I, II, III, and IV using a quantitative disk carrier test method. In an equipment room, we examined the efficacy of the technology in reducing an isolate of from clade IV inoculated on multiple sites on portable devices.

Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Among Residents and Employees in a Veterans Affairs Community Living Center: A 42-Month Prospective Cohort Study.

Background: Understanding routes of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in long-term care facilities is essential for the development of effective control measures.

Methods: Between March 1, 2020, and August 31, 2023, we identified coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases among residents and employees in a Veterans Affairs community living center that conducted routine screening for asymptomatic COVID-19. Contact tracing was conducted to identify suspected transmission events, and whole genome sequencing was performed to determine the relatedness of SARS-CoV-2 samples.

Inactivation and/or physical removal of from floors by detergent cleaner, disinfectants, microfiber, and ultraviolet C light (UV-C).

Contaminated surfaces may be a source of transmission for the globally emerging pathogen, . Because floors may be a source of contamination on hands, strategies for inactivating or removing from floors were investigated. A sporicidal disinfectant and UV-C were most effective in inactivating on floors.

Evaluation of a mobile disinfection cabinet using ultraviolet-C light and aerosolized hydrogen peroxide for disinfection of medical equipment.

In laboratory testing, a mobile enclosed disinfection cabinet using ultraviolet-C light and aerosolized hydrogen peroxide was effective for disinfection of hard and soft surfaces. The addition of aerosolized hydrogen peroxide to ultraviolet-C light resulted in improved disinfection of soft surfaces and spores.

Efficacy of a far-ultraviolet-C light technology for continuous decontamination of air and surfaces.

A wall-mounted, far-ultraviolet-C light technology reduced aerosolized bacteriophage MS2 by >3 log plaque-forming units within 30 minutes. Vegetative bacterial pathogens on steel disk carriers in the center of the room were reduced by >3 log after 45 minutes of exposure, but and spores were not.

Efficacy of 23 commonly used liquid disinfectants against isolates from the 4 major clades.

We tested the effectiveness of 23 disinfectants used in healthcare facilities against isolates from the 4 major clades of Sporicidal disinfectants were consistently effective, whereas quaternary-ammonium disinfectants had limited activity. Quaternary-ammonium-alcohol and hydrogen-peroxide-based disinfectants varied in effectiveness against .

A do-it-yourself test protocol using commercial spores to evaluate the effectiveness of ultraviolet-C light room-decontamination devices.

We developed a do-it-yourself test protocol using commercial spores to assess the efficacy of ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light room-decontamination devices. Overall, 4 UV-C devices reduced by ≥3 log colony-forming units in 10 minutes, whereas a smaller device required 60 minutes. Of 10 in-use devices, only 1 was ineffective.

Evaluation of Interventions to Improve Ventilation in Households to Reduce Risk for Transmission of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2.

Background: Inadequate ventilation may contribute to the high risk for household transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Methods: We evaluated the effectiveness of several interventions recommended to improve ventilation in households. In 7 residential homes, carbon dioxide monitoring was conducted to assess ventilation in occupied open areas such as family rooms and in bedrooms and/or offices.