How to Reduce Hospital Acquired Infections in Your Facility

Multiple C. difficile outbreaks throughout 2011 made headlines and caught the attention of consumer watchdogs. One investigation led by the consumer reports program CBC Marketplace looked into the unsanitary conditions at a number of hospitals as a major cause of the outbreak.

CBC Marketplace visited 11 hospitals in early 2012 with hidden cameras. The team applied a glow gel to handrails, doors, and other high touch areas, and returned 24 hours later to test if the surfaces had been cleaned by observing whether the glow gel had been removed. The glow gel is invisible without black light and can only be removed by a combination of friction and cleaning chemicals.

Glow gel was applied to high-touch surfaces throughout the hospital. View the CBC Marketplace video.

When the cameras returned a day later, it was discovered that many of the surfaces had been left untouched by the cleaning team. These high touch surfaces could act as a harbour for bacteria and spread the infection to anyone who pressed an elevator button or used a washroom.

Hospital Acquired Infections are currently the second most common adverse event affecting health care facilities. Hospital Acquired Infections including C. difficile, MRSA, and E. coli are common in the United States, with over 2 million cases reported each year and over 100,000 deaths annually.

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