Preventing Infection with Technology: CDH Disinfects with Flashing UV Light

Cooley Dickinson Hospital (CDH) today announced it is the first hospital in New England to use the Xenex PX-UV disinfection system to disinfect its patient and operating rooms.

Scientifically proven to kill all major classes of microorganisms that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and "superbugs" such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Clostridium difficile (C. diff.) and flu viruses, among other germs, the Xenex system is the fastest, safest and most effective method for the advanced cleaning of hospital and operating rooms.

"Years ago, automobile manufacturers installed airbags because seat belts were not enough and created a new standard of safety. With the Xenex technology, CDH is taking infection prevention and patient safety to the next level," says Carol Smith, RN, chief operating officer, of the hospitals decision to adopt the disinfection system, which staff started using several weeks ago.

Healthcare-associated infections caused by superbugs such as MRSA and C.diff. are the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). MRSA is an infection that resists antibiotics; C.diff. is a bacteria that causes diarrhea and can be a serious problem for patients whose immune systems are compromised.

By disabling spores and germs, the UV technology lowers the number of infection-causing microorganisms and prevents the spread of infection. Infection prevention manager Linda Riley, RN, says, "Compared to other hospitals and industry standards, CDHs infection rates are already low. But our goal is zero. Adopting the UV technology helps us to continue to reduce our infection rates while improving care for our patients."

"Hospitals need to protect patients by completely disinfecting the rooms and innovative hospitals like Cooley Dickinson are utilizing our proven room disinfection technology to accomplish this," says Brian Cruver, CEO of Xenex Healthcare. "Making the Xenex system part of their standard cleaning procedure will help Cooley Dickinson prevent infections and save patient lives."

The Xenex system uses pulsed xenon technology to deliver high-intensity, broad spectrum UV light to quickly kill microorganisms on surfaces and in the air without contact or additional chemicals. The UV light penetrates the cell walls of microorganism essentially fusing their DNA leading to instant damage, the inability to reproduce or mutate and killing the organism.