Study: Visual Inspection at Least as Effective as Commercial Evaluations for Environmental Clean

Visual inspection is at least as effective as commercial, non-biological methods of determining post-discharge environmental clean, according to a study published in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control.

Evaluating methods with 15 types of high-touch surface, researchers compared the visual clean standard with fluorescent marker removal and adensosine triphosphate quantification. All non-biologic methods were compared to a culture for aerobic colony counts as a control.

They found the following results for each method's demonstration of clean, sensitivity to clean surfaces and specificity to detect a clean surface:

  • Aerobic colony culture — 72% clean, comparison standard, comparison standard)
  • Visual clean — 57% clean, 60% sensitivity, 52% specificity
  • Fluorescent marker — 49% clean, 51% sensitivity, 56% specificity
  • ATP quantification — 66% clean, 71% sensitivity, 44% specificity

Researchers concluded visual inspection is an acceptable and cheap alternative to non-biologic evaluations of post-discharge clean. 

More Articles on Quality:

Bullying, Intimidation Staples of Hospital Workplaces, Study Shows

Study: Physicians Reduce Unsafe Behavior When Confronted by Peers

Patient Safety Tool: Home Healthcare Blueprint for Excellence

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.

 

Featured Whitepapers

Featured Webinars