a lot longer. The time factor could be outweighed
by the overall effectiveness of the system, howev-
er. "It appears that hydrogen peroxide generally
has a more effective kill rate," says Ms. Perri.
For safety reasons, both UV-C and HPV systems
require staff to close and stay out of the room while
the devices are in use. However, because hydrogen
peroxide is extremely toxic to humans, the HPV
safety requirements go a step further. "You have to
seal the room off completely, close all HVAC vents
and monitor the room to make sure vapor isn't
escaping," she says.
Complement to manual cleaning
Regardless of what type of whole-room disinfection
system your facility opts to use, there are considera-
tions you need to keep in mind before making a sig-
nificant upfront investment. Obviously, cost is a fac-
tor. But if the cost is comparable between two ven-
dors or even two different systems, you want to
assess what vendor reps bring to the table, says Ms.
Perri. For instance, before purchasing a UV-C sys-
tem ask: How long do the bulbs last? Can you
change the bulbs yourself or does a company rep
have to travel onsite to do it?
You also need some guarantees about the ven-
dor's customer service capabilities. After all, any-
one can answer questions during business hours,
but what happens in an after-hours situation? "If
your staff runs into a problem at 8 p.m. on a
Wednesday, which is when they'll likely be using
these disinfection systems for terminal cleanings,
is there someone they can get through to?" asks
Ms. Perri.
In the end, look at whole-room disinfection tech-
nology as a way to complement robust manual
cleaning processes. It will never make manual clean-
ing obsolete, but it will kill whatever bacteria staff
didn't wipe away. That alone should be a compelling
reason to invest in the technology.
OSM
O
C T O B E R 2 0 2 0 • O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y . N E T • 3 3
Patents: US #8,143,596 and #2013-0256560 Multiple
Patents (US and foreign) pending
Standard Countertop
Over 4ft
3
Pass-Through Chamber
Custom built to replace your
pass-through window.
Mini Unit
>3,900 cu inches
Patents
Over 4ft
Cu
Mini Unit
>3,900 cu inches
p
Pass-Through Chamber
t b ilt t l C
The 60 second cycle and pa-
tented reflective technology
provide an intense and equal
dosage of UV-C light in every
corner of the chamber.
D i s i n f e c t i o n C h a m b e r s
Kills 99.9% of pathogens
like S. aureus, A. baumanni,
and C. diff.
Used reliably in the
healthcare field since 2009.
844-UV-WORKS
info@HospitalSafetySolutions.com
