If compliance protocols are improving, why are more patients than ever contracting superbugs at hospitals nationwide?
CONSIDER THE FACTS:
- 75,000 people died from HAIs annually in the U.S. in 2011
- 2,000,000 people acquire antibiotic resistant infections each year
- Approximately 380,000 people die from infections in long term care facilities annually2
Surgeons wear personal protective equipment (PPE) during surgery. Dental hygienists wear masks and gloves during routine procedures. A crowded emergency room can put everyone at risk for transmitting bioaerosols.
The Power of UV-C
Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation or UVGI is a disinfection tool that utilizes UV-C or short wavelength light to inactivate microorganisms.
UV-C destroys the nucleic acid in the microorganism and disrupts their DNA leaving them unable to perform any vital cellular functions, virtually
rendering them inert. The use of UVGI and UV-C has increased steadily since the mid-20th century.
UV-C technology has been used as a disinfection method for decades in the healthcare industry. The UV-C wavelength of 253.7 nanometers has been
proven to be effective at neutralizing dangerous microorganisms. The challenge with UV-C technology has always been the method of delivery. It
can’t be used in an occupied spaces and is only effective on areas that fall in its direct line of sight.
Until VidaShield!
Why is the air important?
Recent studies show the airborne dispersion of resistant organisms such as Clostridium Difficile (C. diff) and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus
aureus (MRSA) often play a role in non-respiratory infections.3
Hospital air is a potential route of transmission for Acinetobacter and Staphylococcus, important causative agents of HAI-causing infections.
Resuspension from foot traffic is known to create 100,000 particles per step.4
C. diff is commonly present in the air, with 69% of infrequently touched surfaces testing positive in an elderly ward. MRSA and C. diff are known
to survive for months on hospital surfaces.5
People shed 37 million bacteria each hour and there is an abundance of human bacteria in the air, the floor dust and the ventilation systems.6
How it works
VidaShield is a UV-C, antimicrobial, environmental air purification system. It combines an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) chamber
and air circulating fans with an overhead ceiling light.
The patented system uses UV-C light and filtration to draw in and treat environmental air. It
reduces bacterial and fungal populations in treated air and reduces settling bacteria and fungi from treated air 24/7/365.
VidaShield can
treat a volume of air equivalent to an 8’ x 10’ x 10’ room four times per hour and can be a useful component in facility cleaning protocols. VidaShield
does not substitute for existing good building air exchange practices or manual cleaning and disinfection practices.
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Installation
Installing VidaShield is a simple process. VidaShield fits seamlessly into standard 2x4 drop ceilings. There are several options available for hard ceilings.
Maintenance & Warranty
VidaShield doesn’t require a person to operate the unit and maintenance requirements are minimal on the system. The lumen output on the UV lamp will start
to diminish after approximately 9000 hours (375 days) so we recommend you change the UV lamp once per year to maintain maximum efficacy on the unit.
The job of the MERV6 filter is to trap dust and particulates and keep them away from the UV lamp and radiation chamber. In a healthcare setting that operates
24/7, we recommend the filters be changed every 3 months. In a dentist’s office, physician’s office, school or commercial building where occupancy is limited
to daytime hours, the filters can be changed annually.
Click here for additional information on ordering maintenance kits for VidaShield.
References
2Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
3Katherine Roberts, Caroline F. Smith, Anna M. Snelling, Kevin G. Kerr, Kathleen R. Banfield, P. Andrew Sleigh and Clive B. Beggs.(2008)
Aerial Dissemination of Clostridium difficile spores, BMC Infectious Diseases 8:7 doi:10.1186/1471-2334-8-7
4Seyed Hamed Mirhoseini PhD, Mahnaz Nikaeen PhD, Zahra Shamsizadeh MS, Hossein Khanahmad PhD. (2016) Hospital air: A potential route for
transmission of infections caused by β-lactam–resistant bacteria, American Journal of Infection Control doi:10.1016/j.ajic.2016.01.041
5Best, EL, Fawley, WN, Parnell P, Wilcox MH (2010) The potential for airborne dispersal of clostridium difficile from symptomatic patients,
Clin Infect Dis 50(11):1450-7. doi:10.1086/652648
6Hospodsky D, Qian J, Nazaroff WW, Yamamoto N, Bibby K, et. al, (2012) Human Occupancy as a Source of Indoor Bacteria, PLoS One 7(4): e34867 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0034867