Two posters presented at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology Annual Conference demonstrated successful reduction of healthcare-associated infections at two facilities with the use of Xenex's ultraviolet light room disinfection system.
One poster showed that when Orlando Health South Seminole Hospital in Longwood, Fla., used the UV light system along with traditional cleaning methods in its intensive care unit, it saw a 61 percent decrease in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus and Clostridium difficile infection rates. Through the rest of the facility, the hospital used the UV disinfection system only on rooms with C. diff discharges and saw a 41 percent decrease in C. diff infections facility-wide, according to the poster.
"We have been very pleased with the results of the Xenex UV room disinfection system," said Thomas Kelley, MD, chief quality officer of South Seminole Hospital. "We've seen a significant decrease in infections and a return on our investment."
Another poster presented findings from Moningside Ministries at The Manor, a skilled nursing facility in San Antonio that implemented the UV technology. The SNF used the UV robots to disinfect all C. diff isolation rooms and all common areas like dining rooms and community living areas. After implementing the robot, the SNF's C. diff infection rate fell 76.8 percent.