ACTIVATE 5.25% Institutional Bleach Receives EPA Registration to Kill C. difficile Spores in 4 Minutes

Deardorff Fitzsimmons Corporation announces that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the registration of its ACTIVATE 5.25% Institutional Bleach to kill Clostridium difficile spores in 4 minutes.(1)  Clostridium difficile is a spore-forming bacterium that causes diarrhea and other serious intestinal problems linked to 14,000 U.S. deaths annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports C. difficile infection is a patient safety issue in all types of medical facilities including hospitals, nursing homes, and outpatient facilities.(2)

This nnouncement comes at a time when hospital environmental service departments are challenged to comply with lengthy product dwell times the number of minutes a liquid product must stay wet on a surface to achieve its published kill claims while attempting to meet the demanding schedules of busy healthcare facilities.

My staff cleans and disinfects the rooms of isolated C. diff patients twice daily, says J. Darrel Hicks, BA, REH, CHESP.  In todays hurry, hurry world of hospital housekeeping, a 10-minute dwell time is unrealistic. I really like the fact that the makers of ACTIVATE Bleach have received an EPA registration for a 4-minute contact time. This fits much better with the real world of environmental services.

In the same way, many infection control professionals are frustrated with liquid disinfectants that do not stay wet long enough to meet their label contact times, requiring repeated applications of the product for label compliance.  ACTIVATE Bleachs fast 4-minute sporicidal claim is about patient safety and practicality, says Jason Strassell, division manager at Deardorff Fitzsimmons Corporation.  It is an effective tool for hospitals to combat the spread of C. difficile because it is a practical tool.

ACTIVATE Bleach is also EPA-registered as a one-step cleaner and disinfectant effective against other germs that cause healthcare-associated infections, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus  (VRE). Recommended for use in hospitals, nursing homes, and other institutions, ACTIVATE Bleach is appropriate for disinfecting hard surfaces found in the healthcare environment such as enameled walls, glazed porcelain, laminated plastic, stainless steel, and glass.  It is also widely used in laboratories because its unique dispenser delivers the highly effective 1:10 bleach solution recommended by CDC and other national authorities.(3)

Waste reduction is another practical aspect of ACTIVATE Bleachs portfolio. Facility management can rely on Deardorff Fitzsimmons innovative dual-bottle dispenser system to significantly reduce plastic waste that must be dealt with everyday in the healthcare world.  For example, instead of purchasing, transporting, and disposing of 38 complete spray bottles containing the typical 32-ounce ready-to-use disinfectant, a facility can simply purchase one ACTIVATE Bleach Dilution Sprayer and 12 compact 11-ounce ACTIVATE Bleach cartridges. 

That equates to a three-way benefit to healthcare facilities product cost reduction, freight cost reduction, and plastic waste reduction, Strassell adds.  Deardorff Fitzsimmons understands healthcare systems are under considerable pressure to reduce the amount of waste leaving their facilities ACTIVATE Bleachs sustainable packaging is a measurable step in that direction.

References:

1. The C. difficile spore claim has been registered by the Federal EPA and may not yet be available in all 50 states. Use as directed on pre-cleaned, nonporous surfaces.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Vital Signs: Stop C. difficile Infections, March 6, 2012
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Guideline for Disinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Facilities, 2008, OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard