As a result of the pandemic, millions of surgical procedures have been cancelled or postponed all over the world (1). Researchers have predicted that it will take an average of 45 weeks to clear the backlog that has accumulated during the crisis alone. (2). In addition to this there are the continuing challenges for prevention of nosocomial infections in an OR.

Hospitals will need to focus on efficiency in the OR. With only 25% of critical surfaces in the operating room being successfully disinfected to remove pathogens(3), Ecolab has designed a tailored Premium program to help reduce the risk and burden of post-operative wound infections and nosocomial infections in general with a combination of appropriate effective products, time-saving efficient technology and digital data-driven insights.

To help hospitals optimize environmental hygiene in their operating rooms, Ecolab is proud to launch a new comprehensive Infection Prevention Operating Room Premium Program. This program is a total concept offering that complements the strengths of Ecolab chemistry with the newest generation technology in UV-C disinfection.

The Operating Room Premium Program is based on the classic Operating Room program: disinfection with effective products "between patients". The program includes guidance, audits of the high touch objects, optimization of working procedures and training by Ecolab.

The Operating Room Premium Program offers an additional layer of disinfection through the use of the Autonomous Disinfection Robot which uses disinfecting UV-C lighting equipment developed by UVD Robots and Blue Ocean Robotics. Unlike many existing stationary and therefore manually portable UV-C disinfection devices, the UVD Robot is a mobile, fully autonomous robot that integrates UV-C light to disinfect against viruses and bacteria on surfaces, providing a comprehensive solution for infection control and prevention.

The UVD Robot solves the challenges of shadowing and manual repositioning that have hindered the application of UV-C disinfection in routine healthcare practice in the past.

With the implementation of the Operating Room Premium Program, hospitals have the opportunity to increase the efficiency of staff time with their existing resources:

Disinfection of surfaces without manual repositioning

The UVD Robot does not need to be moved manually, thus saving a lot of time for the Healthcare Professional to spend on other important tasks. This compares to manual systems that require repositioning with each time the irradiation is switched off, the device repositioned and the UV-C lamps restarted.

Lower labor costs

While the UVD Robot is at work, caregivers can spend time on other important tasks.

Extends the life of the materials

UVD Robot repositions itself to avoid the risk of UV-C overdose that can cause material degradation.

Prevents yellowing and cracking of materials, which is also an additional infection risk.

Process validation

The UVD robot disinfection cycle guarantees a repetitive and efficient disinfection process in an operating theatre. This is based on process validation data collected via Ecolab's independent monitoring tools, carried out during start-up and mapping of the robot. Repeat validations are possible so that the hospital can be sure that the pathogens are killed on the surfaces.

24/7 access to real-time compliance & disinfection efficiency reports for all operating rooms.

The Ecolab Team is at your service to guide and support the implementation of infection prevention programs in hospital departments with expert advice to help identify improvement opportunities. Specifically, the mapping and process validation of the automatic disinfection process with the UVD Robot is performed by Ecolab. Qualitative effective chemistry products and the UVD Robot are complemented by useful digital insights and reports which are available to optimize the disinfection process, resulting in a more productive and effective autonomous process.

References:

1 Iacobucci Gareth. How is the pandemic affecting non-covid services? BMJ 2021; 372 :n215

2 COVIDSurg Collaborative. Elective surgery cancellations due to the COVID‐19 pandemic: global predictive modelling to inform surgical recovery plans. Br J Surg 2020; https://doi.org/10.1002/bjs.11746

3 A Novel Technique for Identifying Opportunities to Improve Environmental Hygiene in the Operating Room. JULIE JEFFERSON, MPH, RN, CIC; RITA WHELAN, RN; BRIAN DICK, MPH, MT (ASCP), CIC; PHILIP CARLING, MD