by Brianna Crandall — September 17, 2018 — Dry-surface biofilm has been found to exist on 93% of all critical care area hospital surfaces, according to a study cited by global disinfection product provider Medentech, part of the Kersia Group and known for its Aquatabs emergency water-purification tablets. Over 50% of these biofilms reportedly contain mutant germs that are resistant to antibiotics, which can result in hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). The company says the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has now registered the first product to be effective against these biofilms — Medentech’s Klorkleen 2 effervescent NaDCC tablets for cleaning and disinfection.
Michael Gately, CEO of Medentech, remarked:
This is something I might never see in my lifetime again. Biofilms give germs 1,000 times more protection, thus standard disinfectants such as bleach, hydrogen peroxide, or ultraviolet light don’t work properly. The EPA has developed a new efficacy protocol, and I am delighted to say that our NaDCC effervescent disinfection tablets are the first and only product to have passed this test.
About dry-surface biofilm
Most germs on hospital surfaces live in a biofilm, explains Medentech. A biofilm comprises any group of microorganisms in which cells stick to a surface. These adherent cells become embedded within a slimy extracellular matrix. Initial research by Professor Karen Vickery, Hu et al. has evidenced the existence of biofilm on 93% of all critical-care-area surfaces, with over 50% of these containing mutant germs, according to Medentech.
About HAIs and mutant germs
Mutant germs are multi-drug-resistant organisms that cause hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), explains the company. Approximately 722,000 HAIs occur annually in US acute-care hospitals, resulting in 75,000 deaths (CDC 2014).
About the solution
A new tool has emerged as a broad-spectrum cleaner and disinfectant that eliminates pathogens without damaging surfaces. Klorkleen 2 disinfectant is reportedly the first product to receive EPA registration for its biofilm efficacy (EPA 71847-7). Klorkleen 2 is a powerful surface cleaner disinfectant based on sodium dicholoroisocyanurate (NaDCC) with registered claims as a hospital-grade disinfectant that meets the surface disinfection requirements of OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standards.
Kill claims include Clostridium difficile (C. diff) spores, norovirus, tuberculosis (Tb) and CRE.
For more information about biofilms and Klorkleen 2, visit Medentech’s Better than Bleach website.
