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An Environmental Disinfection Odyssey: Evaluation of Sequential Interventions to Improve Disinfection of Clostridium difficile Isolation Rooms

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Brett Sitzlar ,
Abhishek Deshpande ,
Dennis Fertelli ,
Sirisha Kundrapu ,
Ajay K. Sethi  and
Curtis J. Donskey
Brett Sitzlar
Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
Abhishek Deshpande
Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
Dennis Fertelli
Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio
Sirisha Kundrapu
Affiliation:
Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
Ajay K. Sethi
Affiliation:
Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
Curtis J. Donskey*
Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, Ohio Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio
*
Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center, Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 10701 East Boulevard, Cleveland, OH 44106 (curtisdl23@yahoo.com)
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Abstract

Objective.

Effective disinfection of hospital rooms after discharge of patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is necessary to prevent transmission. We evaluated the impact of sequential cleaning and disinfection interventions by culturing high-touch surfaces in CDI rooms after cleaning.

Design.

Prospective intervention.

Setting.

A Veterans Affairs hospital.

Interventions.

During a 21-month period, 3 sequential tiered interventions were implemented: (1) fluorescent markers to provide monitoring and feedback on thoroughness of cleaning facility-wide, (2) addition of an automated ultraviolet radiation device for adjunctive disinfection of CDI rooms, and (3) enhanced standard disinfection of CDI rooms, including a dedicated daily disinfection team and implementation of a process requiring supervisory assessment and clearance of terminally cleaned CDI rooms. To determine the impact of the interventions, cultures were obtained from CDI rooms after cleaning and disinfection.

Results.

The fluorescent marker intervention improved the thoroughness of cleaning of high-touch surfaces (from 47% to 81% marker removal; P < .0001). Relative to the baseline period, the prevalence of positive cultures from CDI rooms was reduced by 14% (P = .024), 48% (P>.001), and 89% (P = .006) with interventions 1, 2, and 3, respectively. During the baseline period, 67% of CDI rooms had positive cultures after disinfection, whereas during interventions periods 1, 2, and 3 the percentages of CDI rooms with positive cultures after disinfection were reduced to 57%, 35%, and 7%, respectively.

Conclusions.

An intervention that included formation of a dedicated daily disinfection team and implementation of a standardized process for clearing CDI rooms achieved consistent CDI room disinfection. Culturing of CDI rooms provides a valuable tool to drive improvements in environmental disinfection.

Type
Original Article
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 34 , Issue 5: Special Topic Issue: The Role of the Environment in Infection Prevention , May 2013 , pp. 459 - 465
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2013

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