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Monitoring the Effectiveness of Hospital Cleaning Practices by Use of an Adenosine Triphosphate Bioluminescence Assay

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

John M. Boyce ,
Nancy L. Havill ,
Diane G. Dumigan ,
Michael Golebiewski ,
Ola Balogun  and
Ramo Rizvani
John M. Boyce*
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Section, New Haven, Connecticut Hospital of Saint Raphael, and Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
Nancy L. Havill
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Section, New Haven, Connecticut
Diane G. Dumigan
Affiliation:
Infectious Diseases Section, New Haven, Connecticut
Michael Golebiewski
Affiliation:
Environmental Services Department, New Haven, Connecticut
Ola Balogun
Affiliation:
Environmental Services Department, New Haven, Connecticut
Ramo Rizvani
Affiliation:
Environmental Services Department, New Haven, Connecticut
*
Infectious Diseases Section, Hospital of Saint Raphael, 1450 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511 ([email protected])
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Abstract

Objective.

To evaluate the usefulness of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay for assessing the efficacy of daily hospital cleaning practices.

Design.

A 2-phase prospective intervention study.

Setting.

A university-affiliated community teaching hospital.

Methods.

During phase I of our study, 5 high-touch surfaces in 20 patient rooms were sampled before and after daily cleaning. Moistened swabs were used to sample these surfaces and were then plated onto routine and selective media, and aerobic colony counts were determined after 48 hours of incubation. Specialized ATP swabs were used to sample the same high-touch surfaces in the 20 patient rooms and were then placed in luminometers, and the amount of ATP present was expressed as relative light units. During phase II of our study, after in-service housekeeper educational sessions were given, the housekeepers were told in advance when ATP readings would be taken before and after cleaning.

Results.

During phase I, the colony counts revealed that the 5 high-touch surfaces were often not cleaned adequately. After cleaning, 24 (24%) of the 100 surface samples were still contaminated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and 16 (16%) of the 100 surface samples still yielded vancomycin-resistant enterococci. ATP readings (expressed as relative light units) revealed that only bathroom grab bars and toilet seats were significantly cleaner after daily cleaning than before. During phase II, a total of 1,013 ATP readings were obtained before and after daily cleaning in 105 rooms. The median relative light unit was significantly lower (ie, surfaces were cleaner) after cleaning than before cleaning for all 5 high-touch surfaces.

Conclusions.

Suboptimal cleaning practices were documented by determining aerobic colony counts and by use of an ATP bioluminescence assay. ATP readings provided quantitative evidence of improved cleanliness of high-touch surfaces after the implementation of an intervention program.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 30 , Issue 7 , July 2009 , pp. 678 - 684
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2009

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