title: Evaluation of a pulsed xenon ultraviolet light device for isolation room disinfection in a United Kingdom hospital.
abstract: Pathogen transmission from contaminated surfaces can cause hospital-associated infections. Although pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) light devices have been shown to decrease hospital room bioburden in the United States, their effectiveness in United Kingdom (UK) hospitals is less understood.
  
  
  
  Forty isolation rooms at the Queens Hospital (700 beds) in North London, UK, were sampled for aerobic bacteria after patient discharge, after manual cleaning with a hypochlorous acid-troclosene sodium solution, and after PX-UV disinfection. PX-UV device efficacy on known organisms was tested by exposing inoculated agar plates in a nonpatient care area. Turnaround times for device usage were recorded, and a survey of hospital staff for perceptions of the device was undertaken.
  
  
  
  After PX-UV disinfection, the bacterial contamination measured in colony forming units (CFU) decreased by 78.4%, a 91% reduction from initial bioburden levels prior to terminal cleaning. PX-UV exposure resulted in a 5-log CFU reduction for multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) on spiked plates. The average device turnaround time was 1 hour, with minimal impact on patient throughput. Ward staff were enthusiastic about device deployment, and device operators reported physical comfort in usage.
  
  
  
  PX-UV use decreased bioburden in patient discharge rooms and on agar plates spiked with MDROs. The implementation of the PX-UV device was well received by hospital cleaning and ward staff, with minimal disruption to patient flow.
authors.affiliation: Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, London, UK. Electronic address: ian.hosein@qehkl.nhs.uk.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hosein
authors.affiliation: Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Rosie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Madeloso
authors.affiliation: Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Wijayaratnam
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nagaratnam
authors.affiliation: Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Villamaria
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Health Research, Temple, TX; College of Medicine, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stock
authors.affiliation: Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX; College of Medicine, Texas A & M University Health Science Center, Bryan, TX.
authors.forename: Chetan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jinadatha
mesh_terms: D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004203:Disinfection / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004783:Environmental Microbiology; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D010356:Patient Isolation; D010362:Patients' Rooms; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014978:Xenon
chemical_list: D014978:Xenon
keywords: Ultraviolet light; decontamination; hospital infection; innovation; patient flow; technology