Ventilator Unit Study

The Problem

Double occupancy patient rooms represent a challenge for any healthcare facility. Two sets of care givers, and two sets of visitors provide a significant increase in chance of cross contamination of room surfaces. In the case of a ventilator unit, the challenge is multiplied.

Many are incontinent, and require advanced wound care visits. Even the necessary respiratory therapies risk adding aerosolized particulate to the environment. Each of the above mentioned risks are difficult to control with traditional environmental remediation methods, because of the bustling and dynamic environments.

The Solution

In order to quantify the environmental risk, a hospital staff Infection Preventionist, took microbial surface samples using BD BBL culture swabs and sent them to their onsite micro lab. These results were quantified by CFU as a baseline bioburden of touch-points in the patient room, including the: ventilator, computer, patient remote, floor, sink, bed rail, over-bed table and toilet.

The Ventilator Unit staff worked with Vytis Shield technicians to move patients, so that all 40 rooms and equipmtent were coated with Vytis Shield’s Surface Barrier Coating, over the course of the 1st week of November. Following the coating application, surface swab samples were taken from the same fomites as previous.

This data shows a significant reduction in environmental bioburden, sustained over several months time. Vytis Shield’s Surface Barrier Coating clearly made a difference in the challenging environment of a double occupancy ventilator unit.