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Influence of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light-based environmental disinfection on surgical site infections

Angela Catalanotti1, Dudley Abbe2, Sarah Simmons3

  • 1Lowell General Hospital, Lowell, MA.

American Journal of Infection Control
|February 10, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Nightly pulsed-xenon UV light disinfection and dedicated housekeeping reduced surgical site infections (SSIs) in clean procedures by 46%. However, this intervention did not significantly impact SSIs in clean-contaminated procedures.

Area of Science:

  • Infection Control
  • Hospital Hygiene
  • Surgical Safety

Background:

  • Surgical site infections (SSIs) pose a significant threat to patient safety and increase healthcare costs.
  • Novel disinfection strategies are crucial for reducing infection transmission in operating rooms.
  • Current disinfection protocols may not be sufficient for all types of surgical procedures.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of nightly pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (UV) light disinfection combined with dedicated housekeeping on SSI rates.
  • To determine if this combined intervention impacts SSIs differently across various surgical wound classifications.
  • To assess the potential cost-effectiveness of the implemented disinfection strategy.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective study evaluating SSI rates before and after the implementation of pulsed-xenon UV light disinfection and enhanced housekeeping.
  • Surgical procedures were classified into Class I (clean) and Class II (clean-contaminated) based on wound contamination levels.
  • Statistical analysis was performed to compare SSI rates between intervention and control periods, with significance set at P < 0.05.

Main Results:

  • A significant 46% reduction in SSIs was observed for Class I (clean) procedures (P = 0.0496).
  • An increase of 22.9% in SSIs for Class II (clean-contaminated) procedures was noted, but this finding was not statistically significant (P = 0.6973).
  • The intervention demonstrated a potential cost saving of $478,055, primarily attributed to the reduction in SSIs for Class I procedures.

Conclusions:

  • Nightly pulsed-xenon UV light disinfection and dedicated housekeeping effectively reduce SSIs in Class I (clean) surgical procedures.
  • The intervention did not show a significant effect on SSI rates in Class II (clean-contaminated) procedures.
  • This combined disinfection approach offers a promising strategy for enhancing surgical safety in specific patient populations while potentially reducing healthcare expenditures.
Keywords:
Environmental hygieneHospital acquired infectionsNoscomial infections

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