Utica, N.Y.-based Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare was able to reduce rates of Clostridium difficile infections by 39 percent after implementing a bundle of evidence-based interventions and using the Surfacide Helios Triple Emitter UV-C disinfection system.
The bundle components included things like hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and antibiotic stewardship. After adding the use of the UV-C disinfection system, instances of C. diff infections dropped 39 percent.
The Surfacide Helios system uses three separate emitters of UV-C light, which kills many multi-drug resistant microorganisms. Using three emitters allows greater spaces to be treated during the same cycle and decreases the problem of shadowed areas. It also features laser mapping technology. The system can treat an entire patient room in less than 20 minutes.
"Multi-drug resistant organisms like C. diff have long been a formidable foe in healthcare environments," said Heather Bernard, RN, director of infection prevention at Mohawk Valley Health System, the parent of Faxton St. Luke's. "The 39 percent reduction in C. diff infection rates is very significant and suggests that Surfacide's technology holds promise for ensuring that patient care areas are as microbe-free as possible."