Researchers conducted the study at an acute care Veterans Affairs hospital in Temple, Texas. They included single-occupancy rooms previously occupied for at least 48 hours before discharge. They collected pre-and post-cleaning samples from five high-touch surfaces, including the bedrail and call button, and they sampled all the rooms for aerobic bacterial colony counts.
Researchers placed cleaning time data into three categories:
• Limited arm, wherein terminal cleaning was restricted to 25 minutes
• Unrestricted-moderate arm, wherein cleaning took less than 45 minutes
• Unrestricted-high arm, wherein cleaning took 45 minutes or more
Researchers studied 225 samples from the limited arm category; 55 samples from the unrestricted-moderate arm; and 170 from the unrestricted-high arm. They found that terminal cleaning beyond 25 minutes did not affect disinfection on high-touch surfaces as measured by aerobic bacterial colony counts.
More articles on healthcare quality:
NIH researchers call for more research into rare, polio-like illness
9 tips for young nurses seeking leadership positions
Safety issues spur Pennsylvania hospital to create new exec position
At the Becker's 11th Annual IT + Revenue Cycle Conference: The Future of AI & Digital Health, taking place September 14–17 in Chicago, healthcare executives and digital leaders from across the country will come together to explore how AI, interoperability, cybersecurity, and revenue cycle innovation are transforming care delivery, strengthening financial performance, and driving the next era of digital health. Apply for complimentary registration now.