New Technologies Help Prevent Nosocomial Infections

Alarm systems for scheduled filter changes and pressurized mats in front of hand-washing areas are some of the new technologies that could help the battle against hospital-acquired infections (HAIs).

Researchers at the Rutgers School of Public Health (SPH; New Brunswick, NJ, USA) analyzed 10 studies that looked at the best nosocomial infection-prevention practices. They found that ventilation systems that control the direction of airflow, the temperature, and relative humidity of the air at healthcare facilities are important in preventing infections, with most healthcare facilities adhering to the recommendation that there be a minimum of six complete air exchanges per hour—at least two involving outside air.

According to the review, hand hygiene is also a key factor in infection prevention, with a lack of hand washing causing up to 40% of nosocomial infections, based on a 2005 study of European hospitals. To help combat lax hygiene practices and system shortfalls, the study authors recommended that hospitals hold infection prevention and hand-hygiene training sessions twice a year and implement new technologies to assist in the process.

Hospitals are also using robots and information technology devices to prevent infections. New biosensors, created by mixing bacteriophages and specific antibodies, have the potential to detect antibiotic resistance in bacteria, which hospitals can use to disinfect facilities as well as clinicians treating patients. Other robots use ultraviolet (UV) light to sterilize and kill germs. The review was presented as a scientific poster at the American Public Health Association (APHA) 141st annual meeting, held during November 2013, in Boston (MA, USA).

“The spread of nosocomial infections increases with poor hygiene and poor or deferred maintenance practices. There is a positive and direct association between a clean, sterile, environment and healthy patients, although the reverse is also true,” said review lead author Verteena Phillips, a graduate student at Rutgers SPH. “The technology can serve as an extra reminder, especially because even the most thorough infection-prevention guidelines are only as good as the people who are supposed to follow them.”

HAIs are defined as those occurring 48 hours after admission, within 3 days of discharge, or within 30 days of surgery. They can be caused by organisms lurking on the bodies or clothing of healthcare workers and on surfaces such as doorknobs, curtains, and furniture. Resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), erythromycin-resistant Enterococcus, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae acerbate the problem.

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Rutgers School of Public Health