From the August 2014 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine


While Kirschman’s Aerobiotix T1 is an air filtration vacuum that destroys pathogens throughout the day with internal UV, there are comparable technologies that eliminate germs where they lay by flooding vacated rooms with UV rays at scheduled intervals. UV is effective for sanitation because it disrupts the composition of germ DNA. “Without DNA there’s no protein creation,” said Kirschman, “the machinery of the cell is shut down, cellular respiration stops and it dies.”

The time it takes depends on the system and the size of the room being sanitized, but most of the flood light disinfectors work in under an hour. Xenex Disinfection Services uses patented pulse bursts of the inert gas xenon at a rapid speed and high intensity, which they say makes their product more efficient than competitors. In fact, they recently testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology; Subcommittee on Research and Technology; and Subcommittee on Oversight, to the effectiveness of their system to combat HAIs in hospitals and Veteran’s Affairs (VA) facilities.


UV sanitizers are effective against some of the most dangerous superbugs, such as C. diff endospores (C. diff), MRSA, VRE and Acinetobacter. Superbugs are evolved strains of bacteria that have become resistant to antibiotic drugs. A study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE) in 2011, demonstrated that the Xenex room disinfection system is 20 times more effective in killing dangerous pathogens than traditional housekeeping methods.

Technology that thoroughly eradicates pathogens delivers a major breakthrough in the war on germs, particularly in comparison to the current standards of surface cleaning and air exchanges to freshen the air in an OR. There are guidelines for air exchanges, says Kirschman, “but they are guidelines for the method, not for the result. There is actually no validation of these systems at all and there’s rarely if ever any measuring of the airborne bacteria in hospitals.”

No more free rides for MRSA
Another significant development is the use of antimicrobial scrubs and labcoats to reduce the amount of infectious pathogens medical professionals carry on their clothes. A study published by ICHE called “A Crossover Trial of Antimicrobial Scrubs to Reduce Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Burden on Healthcare Worker Apparel,” illustrated the effectiveness of antimicrobial scrubs manufactured by Vestagen Technical Textiles.

August 2014 Magazine

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