A study, published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, examined no-touch disinfection methods and their ability to reduce healthcare-associated infections.
Researchers searched PubMed, CINAHL, CDSR, DARE and EMBASE through April 2017. They identified studies evaluating no-touch disinfection technology and the nosocomial infection rates for Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococci and other multidrug-resistant organisms.
Researchers included 20 studies in the final review, of which 13 studies focused on use of ultraviolet light systems and seven on hydrogen peroxide vapor systems.
When the results of the ultraviolet light system studies were pooled, researchers observed a statistically significant reduction in C. diff and VRE infection rates. However, researchers found no differences in rates of MRSA or gram-negative multidrug-resistant pathogens.