Hygiene in the Healthcare Sector

Hygiene plays a major role throughout the healthcare sector. Although hygiene standards in the healthcare systems are very high, around 600,000 people still become infected with germs in the hospital every year, in Germany alone.

These germs trigger nosocomial infections, the consequences of which kill around 98.000 patients every year. It has already been proven in many studies that an improved cleaning program can curb MRSA infections, which are caused by bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Our rapid tests can be applied in any healthcare facility because the patented A3 technology can check surfaces for the presence of organic residues, by detection of ATP+ADP+AMP. The extensively validated Lumitester Smart technology along with the LuciPac A3 rapid test is suitable for all areas of healthcare, which specifically means hospitals, nursing homes, doctors’ offices, and rehabilitation facilities. Sufficient preventive measures are the only way to reduce the risk of infections and unnecessary illnesses.

We are happy to advise you in detail on the appropriate test methods and present the Lumitester Smart in more detail in a live demo.

Infection Prevention through Validated Healthcare Hygiene

Effective cleaning processes in healthcare minimize infection risks that can arise from inadequate hygiene in facilities.

However, there is still a lack of uniform requirements and defined criteria for cleaning agents and procedures. For this purpose, the specifications of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention of the German RKI are implemented in the healthcare sector.

These stipulate the definition of risk areas in various work areas in the healthcare sector, which results in different requirements for cleaning and hygiene. In principle, safe and controlled hygiene in the healthcare sector, just as in the food sector, is aimed at preventing the spread and growth of germs, and not only through disinfection. The microorganisms contained in the dirt are mechanically removed by cleaning, thus depriving the germs of their breeding ground. Many surfaces do not necessarily have to be disinfected as well, but should still be clean, i.e. free of contamination.

The HyServe ATP luminometer, Lumitester Smart, can be used to ensure hygiene in the healthcare sector and to continuously monitor and improve the quality of hygiene measures. This includes a cloud-based software tool that records hygiene measurements at specific control points in one or several facilities over time, ultimately providing clear documentation about an effective hygiene management system.

  • Validation and documentation of effective cleaning processes reduces the spread of existing diseases reveals contamination on surfaces
  • Commonly used on high-touch-surfaces
  • Protects staff, residents and visitors from disease

Hygiene management in the medical practice and pharmacy

The guidelines, which apply in addition to the specifications of the RKI, provide for the determination of the hygiene status, measures to improve the hygiene status, and hygiene documentation. There are separate requirements and necessary documentation for each type of operating room, for example, for the laboratory, consultation room, prescription room, or workplace area.

Measures are defined and regularly monitored in the corresponding hygiene plans. Specified cleaning procedures and their scheduling must be documented, as must cleaning inspections. However, the requirements of the microbiological condition of surfaces cannot be seen with the naked eye.

A visually clean surface is not necessarily hygienically clean. Therefore, limit values for ATP measurements are defined to establish uniform standards for hygienic cleanliness and to prevent germ growth at an early stage.

Even dried residues of cleaning agents or disinfectants can create a new breeding ground for microorganisms. Hygiene management is a continuous process. Once a year, the concept should be put to the test and the employees should be trained internally. With HyServe’s surface tests, the necessary tests can be carried out very easily and quickly. This means that the necessary documentation can be created and verified, and safe hygiene can be ensured in all healthcare operations and facilities.

Ultra-Sensitive ATP Swaps from HyServe

The handheld Lumitester Smart device and the LuciPac A3 Surface stand for the rapid detection of microbiological residues. They are suitable for hygiene monitoring and can test, measure, and monitor surfaces in accordance with the HACCP concept. The rapid tests are ultra-sensitive and the only system to detect ATP+ADP+AMP.

FAQs

  • 1) What does hygiene have to do with healthcare?

    A high standard of hygiene not only protects patients from infection but also prevents illness among staff.

  • 2) What are nosocomial infections?

    Patients can contract a nosocomial infection in connection with a medical procedure. The most common pathogens include noroviruses, followed in much smaller proportions by bacteria and rotaviruses.

  • 3) What are hospital germs?

    These include multi-resistant germs, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It mainly affects immunocompromised persons in everyday nursing care or hospitals. These bacteria are resistant to most antibiotics, which makes them very dangerous as treatment is difficult.

  • 4) How can hospital infections be prevented?

    Hand hygiene is of great importance in healthcare. This is for prevention, one of the most important measures to prevent hospital infections.

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