A novel method of simulated-use surface disinfection efficacy testing as Phase 3 Step 1 approach

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Infection Control
• Healthcare-Associated Infections

Background:

• Standard laboratory tests for surface disinfectants may overestimate efficacy by not reflecting clinical conditions.
• Simulated-use testing offers a more accurate assessment of disinfectant performance in healthcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a standardized, reproducible simulated-use surface disinfection test.
• The test incorporates clinically relevant organisms, hospital surfaces, and realistic application methods.

Main Methods:

• Modified EN 16615:2015 to simulate hospital conditions.
• Used clinical strains of *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Enterococcus faecium*, and *Acinetobacter baumannii*.
• Applied contamination via touch-transfer and used hospital-relevant surfaces, with wipes applied by trained volunteers.

Main Results:

• Touch-transfer contamination method was reproducible.
• Microbial recovery varied across runs and participants; wiping speed and pressure did not correlate with efficacy.
• The developed test method allows for efficacy testing of commercial disinfectants.

Conclusions:

• A simulated-use test was established incorporating clinical microbes, surfaces, and application methods.
• This internally validated method better represents clinical disinfection practices than current standardized tests.
• The test supports improved assessment of surface disinfectant efficacy in real-world hospital use.