Environmental Infection

There is increasing evidence that the healthcare environment is an important source of healthcare-associated infections. Every facility must thoroughly clean its environment to prevent it from developing into a reservoir for pathogens. Exposures to environmental pathogens or airborne pathogens may result in infections with significant morbidity and/or mortality.

 

Environment of care involves construction and renovation; equipment and environmental service needs; utility maintenance and use; emergency management; and more.

A Layered Approach To Infection Prevention

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are challenging, costly, and difficult to prevent and treat. That’s why hospitals need multiple layers of defense...

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Latest Stories

Emerging Impact of Biofilms on the Environment of Care

Dry surface biofilms present a challenge in the healthcare environment, harboring pathogens and protecting them from disinfectants. We have reviewed...

Curbing the Infection Risk of Healthcare Garments

Evidence is mounting that workers’ garments carry pathogens out of healthcare facilities and inadequate domestic laundering brings them in. While...

All Hands On Deck

To help reduce the spread of preventable infections and to empower clinical staff, visitors and patients to play an active...

Tru-D’s One Placement, One Cycle and One Solution Approach to UV Disinfection

More than a decade ago, Tru-D was the first to bring to market a UVC disinfection robot capable of precisely...

The importance of contact time and visible wetness to ensure effective disinfection

This article highlights challenges to effective cleaning and disinfection in healthcare and describes the importance of using surface wetness during...

Infographic: Reducing the risk of ECG cable & lead wire cross-contamination

Every patient deserves a clean start. Contamination of reusable electrocardiogram (ECG) lead wires is common. Cleaned, ready-to-use ECG leads have...

Povidone-iodine as an Alternative to Mupirocin for Nasal Decolonization

Despite being recognized as a preventable cause of patient morbidity and mortality with nationally established reduction targets, an estimated 1.7...

The Six C’s: Handling Soiled Linen in a Healthcare Environment

To aid compliance with OSHA’s Universal Precautions for handling soiled linen saturated with blood, bodily fluids, harmful residue from...