We have focused recently on enhancing our cleaning methods at VCU Medical Center. This includes terminal hospital room disinfection assessment reports of high touch surfaces and reports related to the use of the Tru-D UVC robot, both presented monthly at the infection control committee. As a result, I read this paper with great interest.The review is an excellent summary of the current state of hospital room disinfection and the results are less than encouraging and raise more questions than answers.
- There is a lack of rigorous, patient centered outcome studies on the effectiveness of disinfection.
- What is the comparative effectiveness of different cleaning methods?
- We do not have a best way of assessing 'cleanliness.'
- What surfaces should be disinfected and how often?
We may be more interested in hospital room disinfection, however, the body of evidence to support and guide our efforts is weak.
In them meantime, we will press on with what we have and trust that our disinfection efforts will at the very least, do no harm.
In them meantime, we will press on with what we have and trust that our disinfection efforts will at the very least, do no harm.
