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Hospital Room Sterilization Using Far-Ultraviolet Radiation: A Pilot Evaluation of the Sterilray Device in an Active Hospital Setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Gaurav Varma ,
Patrice Savard ,
Christian Coles ,
Tracy Ross ,
Karen Carroll ,
Trish Perl  and
Alain Labrique
Gaurav Varma
Affiliation:
Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
Patrice Savard
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; and Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control, Johns Hopkins Health System, Baltimore, Maryland
Christian Coles
Affiliation:
Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
Tracy Ross
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
Karen Carroll
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland
Trish Perl
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; and Healthcare Epidemiology and Infection Control, Johns Hopkins Health System, Baltimore, Maryland
Alain Labrique*
Affiliation:
Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland
*
615 North Wolfe Street E5543, Baltimore, MD 21205 (alabriqu@jhsph.edu)
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Abstract

Environmental contamination of hospital rooms is well recognized as a reservoir for highly resistant nosocomial pathogens such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureu (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), which can be transferred to patients through contact with healthcare providers and contaminated surfaces. Numerous studies dedicated to environmental cleaning and disinfection have found promising results with several novel technologies, including vaporized hydrogen peroxide and ultraviolet over-head lighting or wands. We conducted a pilot study of one such device, the Sterilray Disinfection Wand (Healthy Environment Innovations), a handheld ultraviolet (UV) room decontamination wand. The Sterilray device claims to generate UV radiation in the far-UV spectrum (185-230 nm), resulting in the rapid killing of contaminant bacteria. The goal of this pilot was to collect preliminary data on the efficacy of this device in reducing surface contamination, particularly of common nosocomial pathogens, in an active hospital setting.

Type
Research Briefs
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 34 , Issue 5: Special Topic Issue: The Role of the Environment in Infection Prevention , May 2013 , pp. 536 - 538
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2013

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