The Rock Doves of Istanbul

page 86-8

Sheep\u27s Head on a Plate

page 8

Evaluation of an automated ultraviolet radiation device for decontamination of Clostridium difficile and other healthcare-associated pathogens in hospital rooms

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Environmental surfaces play an important role in transmission of healthcare-associated pathogens. There is a need for new disinfection methods that are effective against <it>Clostridium difficile </it>spores, but also safe, rapid, and automated.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The Tru-D™ Rapid Room Disinfection device is a mobile, fully-automated room decontamination technology that utilizes ultraviolet-C irradiation to kill pathogens. We examined the efficacy of environmental disinfection using the Tru-D device in the laboratory and in rooms of hospitalized patients. Cultures for <it>C. difficile</it>, methicillin-resistant <it>Staphylococcus aureus </it>(MRSA), and vancomycin-resistant <it>Enterococcus </it>(VRE) were collected from commonly touched surfaces before and after use of Tru-D.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>On inoculated surfaces, application of Tru-D at a reflected dose of 22,000 μWs/cm²for ~45 minutes consistently reduced recovery of <it>C. difficile </it>spores and MRSA by >2-3 log₁₀colony forming units (CFU)/cm²and of VRE by >3-4 log₁₀CFU/cm². Similar killing of MRSA and VRE was achieved in ~20 minutes at a reflected dose of 12,000 μWs/cm², but killing of <it>C. difficile </it>spores was reduced. Disinfection of hospital rooms with Tru-D reduced the frequency of positive MRSA and VRE cultures by 93% and of <it>C. difficile </it>cultures by 80%. After routine hospital cleaning of the rooms of MRSA carriers, 18% of sites under the edges of bedside tables (i.e., a frequently touched site not easily amenable to manual application of disinfectant) were contaminated with MRSA, versus 0% after Tru-D (<it>P </it>< 0.001). The system required <5 minutes to set up and did not require continuous monitoring.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The Tru-D Rapid Room Disinfection device is a novel, automated, and efficient environmental disinfection technology that significantly reduces <it>C. difficile</it>, VRE and MRSA contamination on commonly touched hospital surfaces.</p

Hitting A Bird

University of Michigan.Vol. 1, no. 2- issued as the University of Michigan official publication, v. 63, no. 74-Electronic serial mode of access: World Wide Web.Michigan quarterly revie

Empire

University of Michigan.Vol. 1, no. 2- issued as the University of Michigan official publication, v. 63, no. 74-Electronic serial mode of access: World Wide Web.Michigan quarterly revie

Taxidermists

University of Michigan.Vol. 1, no. 2- issued as the University of Michigan official publication, v. 63, no. 74-Electronic serial mode of access: World Wide Web.Michigan quarterly revie

UV-C Tower for point-of-care decontamination of filtering facepiece respirators

ABSTRACTFiltering facepiece respirators (FFR) are critical for protecting essential personnel and limiting the spread of disease. Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, FFR supplies are dwindling in many health systems, necessitating re-use of potentially contaminated FFR. Multiple decontamination solutions have been developed to meet this pressing need, including systems designed for bulk decontamination of FFR using vaprous hydrogen peroxide or UV-C radiation. However, the large scale on which these devices operate may not be logistically practical for small or rural health care settings or for ad hoc use at points-of-care. Here, we present the Synchronous UV Decontamination System (SUDS), a novel device for rapidly deployable, point-of-care decontamination using UV-C germicidal irradiation. We designed a compact, easy-to-use device capable of delivering over 2 J· cm−2 of UV-C radiation in one minute. We experimentally tested SUDS’ microbicidal capacity and found that it eliminates near all virus from the surface of tested FFRs, with less efficacy against pathogens embedded in the inner layers of the masks. This short decontamination time should enable care-providers to incorporate decontamination of FFR into a normal donning and doffing routine following patient encounters.</jats:p