Triumph Over Superbugs Will Only Come from C-Suite-Supported Multimodal Intervention, Says Environmental Hygiene Advocate
UMF CorporationKenneth Swoyer, 847-424-1256
The only viable solution to confronting superbugs in U.S. hospitals is an enterprise-wide multimodal intervention program – “a program that is supported and heralded from the hospital C-suite down to the basement, including effective environmental hygiene,” says George Clarke, CEO of UMF Corporation, a manufacturer and innovator of infection prevention products.
Clarke makes his comments in an article, “,” in the May issue of magazine.
“The fact is it’s simply unrealistic to view hand hygiene programs as the best solution to reducing the number of HAIs, regardless of the pathogen,” Clarke says. “Furthermore, the superbugs we’re battling today are the deadly consequence of a of antibiotic stewardship over the past 20 years.What is the point of emphasizing antibiotic stewardship in the fight against CRE (carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae) –
“This is not to discount hand hygiene and antibiotic stewardship outright,” he says. “But as single-initiative programs, they will never achieve the results caregivers, hospitalists, infection preventionists hope for and patients are entitled to.”
According to Clarke, a for reducing and/or preventing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) must include: a dedicated infection prevention team; risk assessment; active surveillance; isolation precautions; adequate personal protective equipment; environmental hygiene best practices supported by best-in-class products, education and training, combined with antibiotic stewardship and an effective hand-hygiene compliance program.
“And it is within this multimodal scenario that it should become clear to even the casual observer, the members of every environmental services (ES) department compose the true in providing a safe patient environment and reducing HAIs,” he says.
In the article, Clarke cites research supporting the benefits of diligent environmental processing and hygiene in significantly reducing HAIs. In one report, Jewish Hospital-Mercy Health in Cincinnati cut the rate of () infection in half over six months. In another report published this month in , researchers found that a dedicated daily cleaning crew that adequately cleans and disinfects rooms contaminated by using a standardized process can be more effective than other disinfection interventions.
“In those hospitals where ES is being given a larger role in preventing infections, it is a brave new world – one that is providing a safe patient environment,” Clarke says.
Innovators and specialists in environmental hygiene, UMF Corporation delivers advanced, patented antimicrobial technology with industry-leading PerfectCLEAN® products, education, training, motivation and support. For more than 10 years, the company has been an aggressive advocate of raising standards in the battle to reduce HAIs. The company, headquartered in the Chicago area, is the only U.S. Company that designs, engineers and manufactures high-performance fibers and accessories to help its customers meet tough new challenges in public health and safety.
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