Germ-Zapping Robots Help Hunterdon Med Center Cut Superbug Infection 76%

As germs and bacteria become increasingly resistant to cleaning chemicals and antibiotics, Hunterdon Medical Center recently deployed Xenex LightStrike™ Germ-Zapping Robots™ that use pulsed xenon ultraviolet (UV) light to enhance traditional room cleaning procedures as a key part of the hospital’s infection prevention program. The hospital has seen a 76% reduction in Clostridium difficile (C.diff) infection rates since it began using the robots to disinfect rooms.

Hunterdon Medical Center implemented two Xenex LightStrike Germ-Zapping Robots as part of its ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAI) – infections that patients acquire while receiving treatment in a hospital. The infections are caused by microorganisms such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) and C.diff. Invisible to the naked eye, some microorganisms can live on hospital bedrails, tray tables, wheel chairs and doorknobs for up to 5 months — posing a risk to patients and hospital employees. Now, when Hunterdon’s Environmental Services team member has finished cleaning a room, they bring in a LightStrike robot to quickly zap away pathogens that may have been left behind.

Hunterdon was already following infection prevention best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), but decided to invest in the Xenex robots after evaluating peer-reviewed studies that showed significant infection rate reduction results from other facilities using LightStrike robots for room disinfection. The hospital recently attained Magnet recognition for the third time, a testament to its continued dedication to high-quality practices.

Compared with the first half of 2017, Hunterdon Medical Center saw a 76% decrease in C.diffinfections after implementing the Germ-Zapping Robots in the second half of 2017. “It was a huge percent decrease in our number of cases,” said Lisa Rasimowicz, MSN, RN, CIC, director of infection prevention at Hunterdon. “The war against germs is getting tougher as they become resistant to cleaning chemicals. We want to utilize every weapon possible in our battle against infectious diseases to keep our patients and employees safe. I’m very pleased to report that the robots, in partnership with our EVS team, are doing an excellent job.”

https://www.biospace.com/article/releases/lightstrike-germ-zapping-robots-help-hunterdon-medical-center-reduce-superbug-infection-rates-by-76-percent-/