In the realm of healthcare, cleanliness and sterility of shared equipment play a significant role in preventing infections. This assertion was corroborated by a study undertaken by prominent Lake Macquarie academic, Professor Brett Mitchell. The research, named CLEEN and published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases journal, indicates that investing enough time and resources in cleaning hospital equipment can effectively save lives.
Professor Mitchell’s study revealed that the risk of infection decreased by 35 per cent in patients who were treated with cleaned equipment. Shared equipment that wasn’t properly cleaned contributed to an additional 100 infections, leading to serious complications and even fatalities in some cases.
The study brings to light significant statistics surrounding equipment-related infections in Australian public hospitals, with around 165,000 such cases occurring annually. These alarming figures suggest that a considerable amount of infections are caused by inadequate cleaning of shared hospital equipment.
The research was conducted in a real-time setting and involved a randomized controlled trial in 10 wards of Gosford Hospital over a nine-month period. The procedure involved assigning dedicated cleaners to maintain cleanliness of shared equipment such as commodes, drip stands, walking aids, for three hours daily on each ward. The patient pool constituted about 5000 individuals.
When compared, the group treated with cleaned equipment experienced 35 per cent fewer ‘health-care-associated infections’, a reduction Professor Mitchell labeled as ‘pretty huge’. In order to achieve these results, equipment was wiped with disinfectant at least once a day.
The researchers employed a clever technique to measure the cleanliness of the equipment – the use of fluorescent marker gel dots. These markers, visible only under a special light, served as a clear indicator of whether the equipment had been properly cleaned.
The study’s findings underline the importance of maintaining and enhancing cleaning services in hospitals. This point was reiterated by a NSW Health spokesperson, who commented on the ‘potential positive impacts across the wider health system’.
However, it was pointed out that when non-clinical duties like cleaning are passed on to nurses and midwives, patient care often suffers due to stretched workloads. Professor Mitchell noted that the question of ‘who’s responsible for cleaning shared equipment’ was a global concern, often lacking clear documentation in hospital policies and guidelines.
Professor Mitchell is currently leading a team on another study expected to illustrate the cost-effectiveness of investing in cleaning services, describing the decision not to do so as a ‘false economy’. The research flags that curtailing cleaning services and opting for cheaper cleaning products could have serious consequences, including longer hospital stays for infected patients and subsequent bed shortages.
Considering the added complications of crowded emergency departments, ambulance ramping, bed blocking, and elective surgery waitlists, investing in efficient cleaning services could be the key to mitigating these challenges – an ‘opportunity cost to the community’, as Professor Mitchell points out. He added, ‘We need a better way to clean equipment to make it safer for patients.’
Source: https://www.inkl.com/news/who-s-responsible-lack-of-hospital-cleaning-causes-infections-and-deaths