GLOSAIR™ helps turnaround infection levels for hospital trust

Numbers of patients that have contracted HAIs at a pair of British hospitals haved dropped dramatically following the introduction of the GLOSAIR™ area decontamination system

Read the full case study here, in our digital flipbook, or a summary of the key findings below.

The Royal Liverpool Hospital and Broadgreen University Hospitals, which both fall under the same primary care trust, have turned around the numbers of HAI cases after funding was introduced to use the hydrogen peroxide area decontamination system for an annual full decontamination with patients being moved to a ‘decant’ ward.

From December 2007 to March 2008, before the GLOSAIR™ system was introduced, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen lost 1,770 bed days to Norovirus. A year later, with the system integral to their infection prevention policy, only 418 bed days were lost during the period, saving the trust 1,352 bed days and £650,000 (£500 per day). The numbers then dropped in 2009/10 to 298 bed days and even further to 232 from December 2010 to March 2011.

Sue Redfern, Deputy Director of Nursing at The Royal Liverpool, discovered the benefits of area decontamination from a case study. Led by the Hotel Services Manager, the trust now runs an annual deep clean initiative that involves selecting wards based on previously high HAI infection rates. Patients in a selected ward are then moved into a ‘decant’ ward. Once this is complete, a three week rolling programme begins including two weeks of estates work (e.g. minor refurbishment of walls, floors, doors) and one week of deep cleaning and area decontamination.

But using the GLOSAIR™ system to carry out the decontamination was not a decision taken lightly. A multidisciplinary team, consisting of infection prevention, hotel services, medical microbiology, patient flow, rapid response and the contract cleaning company, helped with the selection process for an area decontamination system. The GLOSAIR™ 400 System was chosen because of its effectiveness, affordability and ease of operation for domestic technicians.

Not only has the use of GLOSAIR™ helped reduce the numbers in HAI’s, but also improved the confidence and the trust that the patients have in the quality of the care they receive, as Sue Redfern explains:

“GLOSAIR™ is seen as key in terms of providing cleanliness to the highest standard,” she said. “When infection control is a priority, patient perception is improved. We take pride in communicating to patients that we are utilising GLOSAIR™ technology; patient information cards are provided on bedside tables and the infection prevention strategy is discussed with each patient as part of the deep clean process.”

Mark Sutcliffe, a patient at The Royal Liverpool Hospital, echoed these sentiments:

“Cleanliness should always be the highest priority – everybody plays a part and is committed to help stay on top of HAIs. This is particularly important for me, as I’m highly immune-suppressed, meaning cleanliness is constantly front-of-mind. My immune system is next to zero, so if something is missed I could become very ill. I feel confident that at The Royal Liverpool, I am well-protected. Having patients who are happy and emotionally comfortable helps the process of getting well.”

In addition to Norovirus, other common HAIs such as C. difficile and Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus (MRSA) have reduced dramatically following the introduction of GLOSAIR™. From 1st April 2008 to 31st March 2011 there was an 80.5% reduction in hospital acquired C. difficile cases. There was also an 86% reduction in hospital acquired MRSA cases during the same time period.
Diane Wake, Director of Infection Prevention and Control at The Royal Liverpool Hospital, stated:

“Patients can be reassured that we are continuing to see significant falls in the number of C.diff and MRSA cases. We have halved our C. diff rates in the last year. With a greater emphasis on cleaning and cleaning standards, and the use of innovative solutions as provided by Advanced Sterilization Products, a Johnson & Johnson company, we have made tackling hospital infections our top priority, and our current performance clearly shows that our efforts are making a huge difference; we have gone from being one of the poorest to one of the best performing trusts in the country for infection control.”

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† “Data collected and assessed by Royal Liverpool Hospital. ASP currently does not have any information to support the claim Norovirus.”