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CategoriesInfection Prevention

Fighting Hospital Acquired Infections

by sphmedicaladmin

Fighting Hospital Acquired Infections

Hospitals can sometimes be a breeding ground for infections, according to a study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which revealed that every year close to 2 million Americans develop hospital acquired infections that further compromises their health. These infections, the study notes, are born of viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens, and they can give way to surgical site infections (SSIs), bloodstream infections (BSIs), urinary tract infections (UTIs), and pneumonia. They can also increase a patient’s chances of developing C. diff, a specific type of bacteria that can cause severe diarrhea, nausea, fever, stomach pain, and other gastrointestinal problems. All hospital-acquired infections can jeopardize the health of patients and medical staff alike, but C. diff is one of the worst ones, according to hospital infection reports.

The Truth About C. Diff and How It Impacts Patients and Hospitals

Also known as clostridium deficile, C. diff is responsible for over 200,000 of the roughly 1.7 million hospital-acquired infections reported annually in the U.S., with the average annual cost of treatment coming in at around $6.3 billion. Most of the hospitals that have a problem with C. diff are those that use ineffective sanitizing and disinfectant products as a way to keep viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens that cause infection at bay. Most patients become infected with C. diff after touching a surface contaminated with feces and touching their mouth before washing their hands. So that everyone is on the same page, C. diff bacteria and its associated spores are commonly found in feces.

What Hospitals Are Doing to Comply With CDC Guidelines for Minimizing Hospital-Acquired Infections

There is no denying the intent; all hospitals employ sanitizing and disinfecting processes that help minimize a patient’s chances of developing an infection. But some use better products than others; one of those products is Oxydiff, an EPA approved disinfectant that quickly kills methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and other infections caused by viral, bacterial, and fungal pathogens. Current data shows a large percentage of U.S. hospitals have made the powerful disinfectant their go-to for disinfecting hard surfaces, especially the ones likely to be contaminated with C.diff.2 min kill of pathogens using Oxydiff

The Consequences of Not Using the Right Disinfectant to Prevent the Spread of Hospital-Acquired Infections

Quite a few consequences cans stem from not taking the necessary steps to minimize the risk of hospital-acquired infection, some of which include the following:

    • Prolonged hospital stays – Patients who develop hospital-acquired infections often have to remain in a hospital much longer than anticipated, which leads to higher treatment costs. According to the CDC, the cost of treating hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) is more than $28 billion annually. It is also worth noting that the development of an HAI can make it harder to treat the condition that caused patients to visit the hospital in the first place.
    • Lost wages – Hospital-acquired infections are known to lengthen recovery times for patients after they have left the hospital and have returned home. And this precludes them from returning to work as quickly as they would like, which leads to a loss of wages.
    • Death – While rare, hospital-acquired infections can prove fatal for some patients. In a study published by the Alliance for Aging Research, researchers revealed an estimated 99,000 people die from these types of infections every year in the U.S.

Bottom Line

Despite being one of the most sanitary places anyone could find themselves in, infections do happen in hospitals. And they can sometimes have devastating consequences. But it is possible to minimize the spread of these infections by using a professional-grade, EPA approved disinfectant. Made up of a 5% peracetic acid disinfectant cleaner that cleans, disinfects, and deodorizes in a single step, Oxydiff is one of the best. According to the product’s manufacturer, it is a disinfectant that can destroy bacteria responsible for several infections, including those mentioned in this article, in as little as 2 minutes. With that being the case, it is easy to see why more and more hospitals are turning to this powerful disinfectant to help keep patients and medical teams safe.

CategoriesPatient Handling

Hospital saves $360,000 with AUVS – UV Box

by sphmedicaladmin
SPH Medical offers hospitals the ability to disinfect mobile phones, tablets and more with the UV Box.  Some hospitals have reported cost savings of $360,000 annually by eliminating disposable lead wires and cables.  This cost savings does not include the savings of reducing Hospital Acquired Infections which is estimated at approximately $15,000 per infection.

DECONTAMINATE & SANITIZE

  • Cell Phones and Tablets
  • Stethoscopes
  • Blood Pressure Cuffs
  • Nurse Calls
  • Call Cords
  • TV Remote Controls
  • Pillow Speakers
  • EKG Wires
  • Laryngoscope Handles
  • Blood Glucose Meters
  • Electric Thermometers
  • Oximeter Sensors
  • Vacuum Regulators
  • Ultrasound Transducers…and more.

Contact SPH Medical for more information about the UV Box for your facility

email: [email protected]

Phone: 844-377-4633

web: www.sphmedical.com

 https://sphmedical.com/contact
CategoriesPatient Handling

Halo Disinfection – Data tracking with iPhone

by sphmedicaladmin

The leading total room disinfection system just got even better!

The Halo Fogger now has the capability of tracking data.   The Halo Fogger is known for being the most effective total room disinfection system available today .  Using a proprietary 5% Hydrogen Peroxide solution that is combined with .01% Silver to create a powerful killing mechanism, the Halo Fogger can kill up to 99.9999% of C. diff spores throughout an entire room.

With the new tracking capability and bluetooth connection, any user can download the Halo app from the iTunes app store and track the Halo system usage.  One customer commented that they like the ability to input the staff name that performed the disinfection and also the notes section to make any specific observations about the room that was disinfected.

Another great feature is the ability to send the data from the iPhone app to others via email.  This reporting capability is a major advancement for hospitals that want to keep an electronic log of their disinfections.

Watch the new HaloLog video here:

CategoriesPatient Handling

C. diff is hazardous to the financial health of hospitals

by sphmedicaladmin

C. diff is hazardous to the financial health of hospitals

The Halo Disinfection System is a cost-effective prevention strategy

Clostridium difficile, one of the most common and hard-to-treat healthcare-acquired infections (HAI), sickens nearly half a million people a year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; 29,000 of them die from the disease contracted in hospitals or long-term care facilities.

C. diff also is hazardous to the financial health of health care institutions, insurers and society as a whole. A recent study published in the American Journal of Infection Control says C. diff pushes up hospital costs for infected patients an average of 40 percent per case, when compared to patients who do not acquire C. diffduring their hospital stays.

The study—titled Impact of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea on acute-care length of stay, hospital costs, and readmission—analyzed patients discharged between January 2009 and December 2011. Records for 171,586 patients discharged from about 500 U.S. hospitals in the Premier Healthcare Database were examined in a retrospective analysis. Researchers concluded that C. diff contributed to an increase of approximately 40 percent in costs per case, translating to an average of $7,285 in additional costs.

“Although it’s commonly known that C. diff contributes to high costs and less than ideal outcomes, this study is the first to provide a complete look at how much of an impact it has on U.S. hospitals and patients,” says Glenn Magee, MBA, lead author of the study and principal research scientist at Premier. “Efforts focused on preventing initial C. diff episodes, and targeted therapy to prevent recurrences for vulnerable patients, are essential to decrease this burden.”

We concur. In addition to more judicious management of antibiotics, effective disinfection is essential in preventing C. diff.

The Halo Disinfection System™ distributed by SPH Medical delivers hands-free, whole room surface disinfection with aerosolized hydrogen peroxide, resulting in a 6-log kill rate that dramatically reduces infections, saving money and lives. And, the price tag per patient room is surprisingly affordable.

So affordable that more than 350 patient rooms could be thoroughly disinfected for the equivalent of the additional cost involved in treating ONE SINGLE CASE of C. diff. That does not even take into account the very important goals of preventing human suffering and, in coming years, avoiding significant reimbursement payment penalties.

$7,285 vs. the cost of affordably disinfecting 350 rooms. Which choice would you want your hospital to make?

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