HospitalsOctober 10, 2016

As the Drug-Resistant Bacteria Epidemic Worsens, Halosil Gives Hospitals Options in the Fight

by Halosil

A Proven Solution to Defeat Drug-Resistant Bacteria

A recent Reuters investigation found that 15 years after the U.S. declared drug-resistant infections a grave threat, the crisis has only worsened, and many of those engaged in the fight against HAIs are being hindered by a lack of consistent, usable data.

Quantifying the true extent of HAIs has always been a challenge. The CDC estimates that about 99,000 people die each year from HAIs. A total of 29,000 die from Clostridioides difficile, a pathogen linked to long-term antibiotic use. While regularly cited in news reports and scholarly papers, these figures do not represent a full picture of the issue due to patchwork reporting across states.

Without the proper data to accurately measure the problem at hand, healthcare leaders struggle to devise a proper strategy to combat the problem. The onus of fighting HAIs remains on the shoulders of healthcare providers, particularly those in infection control roles. Unfortunately, many infection control professionals are left to fight HAIs in the dark.

What does this troubling industry assessment mean for the healthcare providers that we work to serve each day? Here’s our take:

1. The fight against HAIs has only just begun. While many industry reports cite progress in reducing HAI numbers, they are limited to measuring progress against the known portion of HAIs. Still remaining are the unknown HAIs that continue to take the lives of many patients across the United States. It is essential that healthcare providers defeat HAIs for not only the lives that are being counted, but also those that are not.
2. Partnership is essential. In order to defeat the threat of HAIs, collaboration is critical. Healthcare management, infection control professionals, facilities managers and whole room disinfection technology providers must work together to devise an achievable game plan for eliminating HAIs, and their associated risk. At Halosil, we are committed to providing a solution that fights the threat at hand while addressing the practical operational realities that healthcare providers face.
3. Whole room disinfection is the answer. The illusive nature of the HAI threat requires providers to take a comprehensive and systematic approach to disinfection. The reality is that piecemeal manual disinfection is no match for the threat at hand. In fact, this method can contribute to the phenomenon of bacterial resistance. Instead, providers must embrace whole room disinfection as a pillar of their infection control approach.
4. There is no room for subpar efficacy. Furthermore, an EPA-validated 6-log kill must be accepted as the industry standard for whole room disinfection efficacy. Even a few remaining bacteria can leave the hospital and its patients exposed to significant risk. Together, we must make ‘disinfected’ synonymous with a 6-log kill.

While the healthcare industry remains in a state of flux when it comes to measuring HAIs, we can do our part by delivering a proven and measurable solution. With the Halo Disinfection System®, hospitals can take proactive steps forward to reduce risk, mitigate costs and improve care.

The Halo Disinfection System leads the market in efficacy with an EPA-validated 99.9999% kill rate of C. difficile spores in healthcare settings. Furthermore, it is equipped with a host of workflow enhancing features for easy operationalization.

Are you ready to take the next step in your fight against HAIs? Contact Halosil today.