Description
Effective environmental cleaning and disinfection is essential for prevention of healthcare-associated infections. However, in a culture survey of 30 hospitals sponsored by APIC, we found that surfaces were often contaminated after cleaning and disinfection. To better understand why surfaces remain contaminated, we have conducted observational studies in collaboration with our EVS program to identify cleaning practices and products that may lead to ineffective cleaning and disinfection. Important findings include frequent malfunction of automated disinfectant dispensers, incorrect use of disinfectants, and suboptimal monitoring of cleaning practices and products. This presentation will review factors that were identified as contributors to ineffective cleaning and disinfection and discuss strategies for implementation of monitoring that involve collaboration between environmental services personnel and infection prevention.
Objectives
- To be able to describe the characteristics of disinfectants commonly used in healthcare settings.
- To describe factors that may contribute to ineffective cleaning and disinfection in healthcare settings.
- To be able to implement monitoring of cleaning and disinfection involving collaboration between environmental services (EVS) personnel and infection prevention.