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Princeton acquires Tru-D SmartUVC Room Decontamination System to improve patient care

In early September, Princeton Community Hospital added the Tru-D SmartUVC™ Room Decontamination System to its arsenal of new technology that helps disinfect environmental surfaces in patient rooms and in operating room suites.

21 Nov 2011

Potential transmission of HBV, HCV and HIV infections in nail salons and barbershops

The risk of hepatitis transmission through non-single use instruments -- such as nail files, nail brushes, finger bowls, foot basins, buffers, razors, clippers, and scissors -- during nail salon and barbershop visits cannot be excluded, according to the results of a new report unveiled today at the American College of Gastroenterology's (ACG) 76th Annual Scientific meeting in Washington, DC.

1 Nov 2011

Cholera epidemic in Africa: Largest yet

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has announced in a statement that the cholera epidemic in West and Central Africa is one of the worst the area has ever seen. So far this year more than 85,000 cases have been reported in the region, including 2,466 deaths.

12 Oct 2011

Methodist Hospital internist offers few simple suggestions to prevent cold and flu

The first few breezes of fall bring with them not only the promise of a welcome change in season, but also the threat of colds and flu. Dr. Joshua Septimus, an internist at The Methodist Hospital in Houston, offers a few simple suggestions to protect you and your family this cold and flu season. "The most useful tip I can pass along is to wash your hands," says Septimus. "It sounds so simple, but it is truly the most important thing you can do to protect yourself."

27 Sep 2011

Berson UV used to treat hospital wastewater prior to discharge

Berson’s medium pressure UV systems are being used in a trial in the Netherlands to treat hospital wastewater prior to discharge. In the trial, UV is applied in combination with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to generate OH- radicals in a so-called “Advanced Oxidation Process” (AOP). The very reactive OH- radicals attack the pharmaceutical residues in the wastewater, breaking them down into H2O, CO2 and harmless metabolites.

21 Sep 2011

Cone Health uses Xenex room disinfection systems to reduce HAI rates and costs

Cone Health today announced a dramatic reduction in healthcare-acquired infection (HAIs) rates after implementing an infection prevention program which includes Xenex room disinfection systems.

25 Aug 2011

Study confirms ability of Tru-D device to decontaminate surfaces in patient rooms

In an original article coauthored by John M. Boyce, MD; Nancy L. Havill, MT; and Brent A. Moore, PhD, "Terminal Decontamination of Patient Rooms Using an Automated Mobile UV Light Unit", the research team from the Hospital of Saint Raphael and the Yale University School of Medicine ". . . demonstrated that an automated, portable UV light device significantly reduced aerobic colony counts on high-touch surfaces in patient rooms.

12 Aug 2011

Hand hygiene knowledge reduces risk of infection in elementary schools, HCW

Increased hand hygiene knowledge positively correlates with a decreased risk of transmitting infection among both healthcare workers (HCW) and elementary school children, according to two studies published in the August issue of the American Journal of Infection Control (AJIC), the official publication of APIC - the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology.

5 Aug 2011

To eliminate germs in contact lens, 'rub and rinse' works best

For cleaning soft contact lenses with multipurpose disinfection solutions, the "rub and rinse" technique is most effective for eliminating micro-organisms—even when using "no-rub" disinfection solutions, according to a report in the August issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

2 Aug 2011

Study finds harmful haloacetic acids in the urine of pool workers, swimmers

The first scientific measurements in humans show that potentially harmful haloacetic acids (HAAs) appear in the urine of swimmers within 30 minutes after exposure to chlorinated water where HAAs form as a byproduct of that water disinfection method.

28 Jul 2011

Two instruments of Thermo Fisher Scientific win 2011 R&D 100 Award

Thermo Fisher Scientific, the world leader in serving science, today announced that two of its instruments are 2011 R&D 100 Award winners: the Thermo Scientific Evolution 200 series UV-Vis spectrophotometer and the Thermo Scientific Dionex ICS-5000 capillary ion chromatography system.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 20 Jul 2011

Sodexo selects Xenex as preferred partner for disinfection of client facilities

Sodexo Inc., a world leader in healthcare environmental services management, and Xenex Healthcare Services, the world leader in room disinfection systems, today announced Xenex has been selected as Sodexo's preferred partner for disinfection of Sodexo client facilities. Xenex's portable room disinfection system uses pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to destroy all viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores in the patient environment without contact or chemicals.

18 Jul 2011

Can you drink too much water? Experts say yes

Drinking adequate amounts of water is said to prevent kidney damage, help lose weight and increase concentration. However experts now warn that drinking eight glasses of water a day is not good after all – and could be harmful. They say that scientific claims behind long-standing government guidelines are worse than ‘nonsense’. The NHS – along with leading doctors and nutritionists – advises the public to drink about 1.2 litres (or two-and-a-half pints) of water per day.

13 Jul 2011

ASP unveils innovative healthcare environmental infection prevention technology

Sterilization Products (ASP) announced today the launch of an innovative infection prevention technology – GLOSAIR Healthcare Environmental Decontamination – that provides effective, safe and thorough disinfection of hospital rooms and operating suites to reduce the risk of patient contact with infection-causing pathogens.

27 Jun 2011

Woods Institute at Stanford University awards seven new Environmental Venture Project grants

The Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University has awarded seven new Environmental Venture Projects (EVP) grants for interdisciplinary research aimed at finding practical solutions promoting global sustainability.

24 Jun 2011

SHEA, ASGE update Flexible gastrointestinal endoscope guideline

The American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) have updated their 2003 joint guideline for reprocessing gastrointestinal endoscopes to reaffirm reprocessing methods and take into account evolved technology and disinfection systems.

2 Jun 2011

3M introduces Clean-Trace Hygiene Management System for healthcare facilities

As part of its effort to offer a wide range of environmental hygiene solutions for healthcare facilities, 3M Infection Prevention today announced its 3M™ Clean-Trace™ Hygiene Management System. This solution is designed to help hospitals assess the cleanliness of a surface and validate the efficacy of cleaning protocols and worker performance in less than one minute

11 May 2011

PURE named winner of CSN 2011 National Child Safety Award

PURE Bioscience, Inc., creator of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate antimicrobial, today announced that Child Safety Network has named PURE the winner of its 2011 National Child Safety Award and has granted PURE Hard Surface disinfectant its Safe Family Seal of Approval.

30 Apr 2011

VIGILAIR air cleaning technology greatly reduces HAI in NICU: Study

VIGILAIR Systems, an industry leader in Ultraviolet Germicidal Irradiation technology was instrumental in a newly published, and first of its kind hospital study that demonstrated a dramatic reduction in patient Hospital Acquired Infections with the application of VIGILAIR® air cleaning technology in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

11 Apr 2011

Novartis' TOBI Podhaler receives Health Canada NOC for Pa treatment in CF patients

Novartis Canada announced today that it has received Health Canada Notice of Compliance for TOBI Podhaler, a fast and convenient inhaled therapy for cystic fibrosis patients aged six and over.

6 Apr 2011