Residual Efficacy: What Is the Ideal Disinfectant for Health Care Facilities?
The best disinfectant needs to be fast-acting and remain wet for the entire contact time in a single application. What else is required?
Countless disinfectants are on the market, but not all of them are made equally. What do health care professionals look for in the ideal disinfectant? One of the criteria is residual properties.
To discuss this topic, Peter Teska, global healthcare sector expert for Diversey Holdings, spoke to Infection Control Today® (ICT®). He and Jim Gauthier, MLT, CIC, senior clinical advisor, infection prevention for Diversey Holdings, gave a presentation on residual properties in disinfectants at the Association for Health Care Environment (AHE) annual conference: AHE Exchange, AHE Conference & Solution Center, held on October 3 to 5, 2022, in Orlando, Florida.
“Our talk is on residual efficacy,” Teska told ICT®. “These are disinfectants that have residual properties that can be applied to environmental surfaces. We're [talked] a little bit about what the need is, [and] why customers in health care facilities are looking for this sort of technology. I talk[ed] about some of the various technologies that are being introduced onto the market. And then we talk[ed] about test methods and then a short group of studies on these products that have appeared in the clinical evidence base, and [finally] talk about what's being shown in the studies and what's not.”
The authors discussed during the presentation the criteria of a model disinfectant in health care spaces. The disinfectant would be broad spectrum, killing pathogens found in health care that are of most concern. It must be fast-acting and remain wet for the entire contact time in a single application. This ideal disinfectant must not be affected by organic soil, hard water, or other environmental factors.
The next point of the disinfectant’s criteria would be that it is non-toxic and non-irritating to the user and has the lowest possible safety risk to the user. The disinfectant should be proven compatible with common health care surfaces and equipment. Finally, it should have persistence, meaning it should have a residual effect on surfaces in a health care space.
Redefining Competency: A Comprehensive Framework for Infection Preventionists
December 19th 2024Explore APIC’s groundbreaking framework for defining and documenting infection preventionist competency. Christine Zirges, DNP, ACNS-BC, CIC, FAPIC, shares insights on advancing professional growth, improving patient safety, and navigating regulatory challenges.
Announcing the 2024 Infection Control Today Educator of the Year: Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA
December 17th 2024Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA, is the Infection Control Today 2024 Educator of the Year. He is celebrated for his leadership, mentorship, and transformative contributions to infection prevention education and patient safety.
Pula General Hospital Celebrates Clean Hospitals
December 16th 2024Learn how Pula General Hospital in Croatia championed infection prevention and environmental hygiene and celebrated Clean Hospitals Day to honor cleaning staff and promote advanced practices for exceptional patient care and safety.
Understanding NHSN's 2022 Rebaseline Data: Key Updates and Implications for HAI Reporting
December 13th 2024Discover how the NHSN 2022 Rebaseline initiative updates health care-associated infection metrics to align with modern health care trends, enabling improved infection prevention strategies and patient safety outcomes.
