Chemical resistance testing of plastics: material compatibility of detergent and disinfectant products.

Background: Surface cleaning and disinfection is a key part of breaking the chain of transmission and reducing the risk of healthcare associated infections. However, if cleaning and disinfectant formulations are incompatible with surface materials, frequent application can cause premature failure of plastics due to environmental stress cracking (ESC). Material compatibility should be considered when selecting cleaning and disinfecting products.

Impact of antimicrobial wipes compared with hypochlorite solution on environmental surface contamination in a health care setting: A double-crossover study.

Objective: Antimicrobial wipes are increasingly used in health care settings. This study evaluates, in a clinical setting, the efficacy of sporicidal wipes versus a cloth soaked in a 1,000 ppm chlorine solution.

Intervention: A double-crossover study was performed on 2 different surgical and cardiovascular wards in a 1,000-bed teaching hospital over 29 weeks.

Pathogen transfer and high variability in pathogen removal by detergent wipes.

Background: The rise in health care-associated infections has placed a greater emphasis on cleaning and disinfection practices. The majority of policies advocate using detergent-based products for routine cleaning, with detergent wipes increasingly being used; however, there is no information about their ability to remove and subsequently transfer pathogens in practice.

Methods: Seven detergent wipes were tested for their ability to remove and transfer Staphylococcus aureus, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Clostridium difficile spores using the 3-stage wipe protocol.

Best practice in healthcare environment decontamination.

There is now strong evidence that surface contamination is linked to healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs). Cleaning and disinfection should be sufficient to decrease the microbial bioburden from surfaces in healthcare settings, and, overall, help in decreasing infections. It is, however, not necessarily the case.

Efficacy of "sporicidal" wipes against Clostridium difficile.

Background: Hospital-acquired infections associated with Clostridium difficile cause severe morbidity and mortality. The current control of C difficile endospores with liquid sporicides might have limited efficacy in the health care environment. Sporicidal wipes might offer additional control of surface bioburden and are now increasingly used, although there is little information about their efficacy against spores in practice.