Evaluation of a shoe sole UVC device to reduce pathogen colonization on floors, surfaces, and patients.

Related Articles

Evaluation of a shoe sole UVC device to reduce pathogen colonization on floors, surfaces, and patients.

J Hosp Infect. 2017 Oct 21;:

Authors: Rashid T, Poblete K, Amadio J, Hasan I, Begum K, Alam MJ, Garey KW

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Recently, a UVC decontamination device has become available that delivers germicidal UVC radiation to shoe soles. The objective of this study were to demonstrate that shoe soles can be vectors for healthcare associated infection and whether a UVC shoe sole decontamination device would be effective at decreasing this risk.
METHODOLOGY: Three bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Escherichia coli, and a non-toxigenic strain of Clostridium difficile were spiked onto standardized rubber soled shoe soles and then randomly selected to UVC exposure or no UVC exposure. Experiments were performed to test the efficacy of the UVC device to decontaminate shoe sole soles and flooring. E. faecalis was spiked onto shoes to assess colonization of a simulated healthcare environment and patient.
RESULTS: The UVC device significantly decreased shoe sole contamination for all tested bacterial species and significantly decreased floor contamination for all floor types and species tested (P < 0.01, for all experiments). Log10 reduction was the highest for E. coli (2.6 ± 0.79) followed by E. faecalis (2.19 ± 0.68), S. aureus (1.74 ± 0.88), and C. difficile (0.42 ± 0.54) (P < 0.0001, all analyses). Exposure of shoe soles to the UVC device significantly decreased contamination (mean log10 reduction: 2.79 ± 1.25; P < 0.0001). Proportions of samples from furniture, bed, and patient dummy samples decreased from 96-100% positive in controls to 5-8% in UVC device experiments (P < 0.0001, all analyses).
CONCLUSION: A UVC decontamination device was shown to reduce CFU counts of relevant pathogenic organism from shoe soles with subsequent decreased colonization of floors, healthcare equipment and furniture, beds, and a patient dummy.

PMID: 29066141 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

http://ift.tt/2yRRLQc