Overcoming challenges in combating healthcare-associated infections

DR. HALDEN SHANE

Disinfection in healthcare settings is crucial in preventing the spread of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), or infections often acquired by patients while receiving medical treatment. For years, HAIs have placed a significant burden on the Canadian healthcare system, with the Public Health Agency of Canada estimating approximately 220,000 patient infections each year.

However, HAIs prove more than just a danger to the reinfected patient, as those same patients incur prolonged hospital stays, increased risk of spreading infection (and consequent increased morbidity and mortality rates), as well as additional healthcare financial and resource costs.

Overcoming challenges: One of the largest challenges in ensuring proper disinfection in any healthcare setting is issue of limited resources, including staffing and supplies. Healthcare providers are often overworked and under-resourced, making it difficult to implement and maintain adequate cleaning and disinfection practices. In addition, shortages of critical supplies such as personal protective equipment and disinfectants have been an ongoing issue during the COVID-19 pandemic, further exacerbating the challenge of ensuring proper disinfection.

Another challenge in disinfecting healthcare settings is the complex nature of the environment. Healthcare facilities are often large and have a high volume of patients, making it difficult to maintain a clean and disinfected environment. In addition, there are many surfaces and medical equipment that must be cleaned and disinfected at different levels of varying specificity. The appropriate treatment of these areas can mean the difference between failed inspections, increased funding, and even higher ratings.

Strategies for improving disinfection practices: To address the challenge in disinfecting to prevent HAIs and circumnavigate staff shortages, healthcare facilities are implementing various strategies, including the use of labor-reducing technology. One such technology is SteraMist, a unique disinfection system that uses hydrogen peroxide mist and revolutionary natural science to kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi on surfaces. SteraMist has been extensively shown to be effective in reducing the risk of HAIs in healthcare settings, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria and viruses such as C. auris.

In addition to SteraMist, some facilities turn to ultraviolet (UV) disinfection systems to supplement traditional cleaning and disinfection practices. These systems utilize ultraviolet light to provide a lowlevel reduction of bacteria and viruses on surfaces. However, it is important to note that UV systems have significant limitations, as they require direct line of sight to be effective, may not reach all areas in a room, may increase room turnover time, and can even affect some surfaces over time.

Another approach to improving disinfection protocols is through staff education and training. When ensuring the proper training and education of staff on disinfection best practices, healthcare fa- cilities improve consistency and effectiveness of employed disinfection methods. Additionally, healthcare facilities implementing measures to improve resource availability, such as implementing centralized inventory management systems to ensure that critical supplies, including disin- fectants and personal protective equipment, are readily available when needed.

Despite these efforts, the prevention of HAIs remains an ongoing challenge, with the emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria significantly contributing to the epidemic. Particularly difficult to treat and highly contagious within healthcare settings, antibiotic-resistant bacteria are resilient in nature and often require significant effort to counter the spread.

Appropriate antibiotic use and infection prevention: To prevent the develop-

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