Hospital invests in Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Systems for additional protection from HAIs

by Brianna Crandall — October 5, 2016 — Catawba Valley Medical Center (CVMC) has become one of the first hospitals in North Carolina to adopt Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Systems, adding an extra innovative precaution to its existing infection control processes. Funded through a generous grant from the Catawba Medical Foundation, the systems utilize ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light, the highest-energy form of ultraviolet light, to kill germs that pose a threat to the healthcare environment.

The UV light inactivates the germs’ DNA, rendering them harmless and unable to replicate. The system is effective against a range of dangerous germs, including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and clostridium difficile (C. diff) spores, in just five minutes at a distance of eight feet.

As multi-drug resistant organisms that can cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to threaten patient populations in the nation’s healthcare facilities, CVMC made the decision to add an extra innovative precaution to existing infection control protocols: the addition of UV technology to treat patient rooms and other key areas in the facility.

CVMC decision to purchase the two Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Systems was based on the devices’ ability to kill key organisms associated with increased HAIs, as well as their ease of use and cost effectiveness.

Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Systems machine

The UV light in Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV Systems inactivates the germs’ DNA, rendering them harmless and unable to replicate.

CVMC implemented the systems to clean all operating rooms and patient isolation rooms between patients and other patient rooms and public areas on a rotating basis in early August. The devices run after the environmental services team thoroughly cleans and disinfects each room with a chemical surface disinfectant product.

The UV device is then used to supplement these efforts, including reaching areas that are difficult to clean manually. In a typical patient room, the device is placed on both sides of the patient bed and turned on for five minutes in each position. It is also placed in the patient bathroom for another five-minute cycle. A similar process is followed for the ICU.

The adoption of the UV device has not only shown initial reductions in infection rates, but also reportedly gives patients and staff peace of mind that their safety is what is most important to CVMC.

For more information on the Clorox Healthcare Optimum-UV System, visit the Clorox Web site.