RE: Light technology can combat superbugs
At one time, our problem was disinfecting after TB patients. We used ultraviolet light as an adjunct to soap and water and sunshine. The habit was to run the light for 24 hours and indeed, after that period of time, nothing grew on our petri dishes, et al.
Now, a room with a 24 hour down time will not be tolerated as the number of beds that can be built are limited by local law or habit and the expense of doing so. Thus beds have very little time between occupants.
Now, if you really want to improve the infection rate in hospital; remove the nasty fake nails on staff or make them wear gloves thruout their day, not just on patient contact. Get the hair out of the staffs' faces and off everything they touch. They watch too much tv and believe that CSI investigators are dripping their own DNA over all crime scenes. It is a crime what passes for infection control in the average hospital.
But the number one way to improve the infection rate is to hire enough housekeepers to get the rooms cleaned instead of the horizontal surfaces only. Yes, only. If they notice emesis (vomit) dried on something they will try to remove it but they sometimes "clean" 30 discharges in an 8 hour day. What would you get cleaned in that period of time? Also count in a 30 minute lunch and a 15 minute break. So you have 7 hours and 45 minutes to do 30 rooms plus running to the ER to mop up "spills." Oh yes, there are a lot of ways to kill germs.
Adequate time and staff does an excellent job of decreasing infection rates. And is far less expensive.
