Hospital Cleaning Services: Break The Chain Of Infection

Hospital Cleaning Services: Break The Chain Of Infection

When you find yourself in the hospital, you’re probably already having a bad day. Most trips to the hospital are for reasons out of a patient’s control, and unless a child is being expected, it’s not somewhere you ever want to be. Most healthcare providers understand this and try to make a patient’s stay as comfortable as possible with good bedside manners. Unfortunately, those measures are of no use in combating the threats that lie at surface level, well beyond what any human eye can see. 

All across the world, hospitals and healthcare institutions place a high focus on infection prevention. Effective cleaning and sanitization are now more crucial than ever due to the introduction of new and more harmful microorganisms. By halting the transmission of dangerous pathogens and lowering the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), hospital cleaning services are essential in halting the spread of infection.

In this article, we’ll explore the dangers that Healthcare Acquired Infections present to the public, the reasons they continue to flourish, and steps that hospitals can take to mitigate the threat.

THE DANGER OF HEALTHCARE-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS

While hospital patients are likely worried about whatever pain they’re experiencing, or whatever procedure they’re about to have done, healthcare-acquired infections are a silent terror that most patients never even know of prior to contracting them. 

Healthcare-acquired infections, also known as HAIs or nosocomial infections, are infections that patients contract while they are receiving medical treatment in a healthcare facility. These infections can be severe and cause health complications, longer stays, and higher bills for patients. 

Some of the most common HAIs include MRSA, and VRE, as well as complications like surgical site infections (SSIs) and ventilator-associated pneumonia.

AN UNNECESSARILY COMMON OCCURRENCE

Unfortunately, healthcare-acquired infections are a common occurrence in the United States. In fact, the CDC reported that each year, 1 in 31 hospital patients contracts an HAI. That means more than 600,000 patients are infected with HAIs each year! 

There have even been studies that concluded that 85% of all wheelchairs and 50% of operating room tables aren’t properly disinfected. So as patients undergo surgery or are sent home unable to walk, viruses and bacteria are further threatening to harm them. 

Despite the fact that we have the best healthcare in the entire world, the shocking number of HAIs reported each year shows that the standard hospital cleaning services most hospitals use simply aren’t effective, and patients are paying the price. 

And while medical technology has continued to advance, it’s become clear that the standards of hospital cleaning services have not been able to keep up.

WHY ARE THESE INFECTIONS THRIVING?

There are many different ways that a patient can contract an infection while receiving health care. Some of these causes are directly related to the patient’s actions—such as neglecting to properly wash one’s hands—but some of the most common causes are caused by poor sanitation practices. Failing to properly clean catheters and ventilators, improper maintenance of the hospital’s air filtration systems, and contaminated surfaces are common issues. 

While there’s little that hospitals can do to stop patients from contracting HAIs due to their own actions, changes can be made to mitigate the threats that the hospital environment itself presents.

THE STANDARDS OF HOSPITAL CLEANING SERVICES MUST IMPROVE

The American healthcare system is already under constant strain. During the Covid-19 pandemic, there were more sick patients than beds to house them. And there certainly weren’t enough doctors and nurses to attend to them all. With tens of millions of patients walking through the doors of the nation’s six thousand hospitals, it’s no wonder the industry is facing logistical nightmares left and right. 

Despite this constant strain, in order for hospitals in the U.S. to maintain their status as the best in the world, something has to be done to improve the work that hospital cleaning services do. 

For decades, hospitals around the country have been using the same cleaning tools and procedures as other businesses. While some extra steps are taken to sterilize operating rooms, there are many surfaces that are cleaned with decades-old tools like trigger sprays, foggers, and misters. These tools have proven themselves to be utterly ineffective at neutralizing viruses and bacteria, and it’s time that healthcare cleaning services move to more effective tools. 

UPGRADING HOSPITAL CLEANING SERVICES WITH MODERN EQUIPMENT

To maintain a high degree of cleanliness and avoid infection, hospital cleaning services must start using more efficient cleaning technologies. Modern tools like vacuums with HEPA filters and Clorox Total 360 sprayers may greatly increase the efficacy and efficiency of cleaning services.

The electrostatic Clorox Total 360 sprayer can offer thorough coverage of disinfectant, which is essential for halting the spread of infectious pathogens. A thin, uniform coating of disinfectant may be applied to surfaces and objects, even in difficult-to-reach locations, by using a sprayer that charges the disinfectant solution electrostatically.

Another contemporary cleaning product that is quite successful at eliminating even the smallest airborne particles is a HEPA-filtered vacuum. Pet dander, dust mites, and pollen may all be captured by the unique filter used in these vacuums, which can filter out particles as fine as 0.3 microns. In hospital environments where airborne particles may contribute to the transmission of illnesses, HEPA filtration is particularly crucial.

By utilizing cutting-edge technology, this equipment can clean surfaces more thoroughly and effectively while also lowering the danger of spreading infections.

In order to provide a clean and safe atmosphere, particularly in high-risk environments like healthcare institutions, it is crucial that the hospital cleaning services you partner with employ the most recent technology and equipment.

ENSURING CLEANING STAFF ARE PROPERLY TRAINED

The conventional zone cleaning approach might lead to uneven cleaning quality since staff members are tasked with several different duties and can lack the essential expertise required to complete each task with excellence. This inevitably results in insufficient cleaning and an increased risk to patients. Replacing this outdated system and giving the proper training to cleaning staff can improve a hospital’s overall cleanliness. 

Incorporating more thoughtful cleaning systems, like A&A Elevated Facility Solution’s SYNC 360 system, provides significant improvements over the traditional zone cleaning method.

The SYNC 360 approach organizes staff into teams that are experts in particular cleaning jobs, rather than assigning janitorial staff to clean a whole space. Then, as a team, these professionals clean each area simultaneously, resulting in a comprehensive and more effective clean.

The SYNC 360 method enables cleaning employees to hone their abilities and gain a thorough awareness of the particular jobs they are responsible for by putting a strong emphasis on specialization. As a result, there is an increase in knowledge and attention to detail, two qualities that are essential for maintaining a clean and sanitary atmosphere, particularly in healthcare settings.

COLLABORATION BETWEEN HOSPITAL CLEANING SERVICES STAFF & HEALTH CARE WORKERS IS KEY

In order to break the cycle of infection and provide a safe and healthy healthcare environment, effective coordination between hospital cleaning services employees and healthcare professionals is crucial. Although cleaning and disinfection procedures are essential to the prevention of infections, they can only be successful if they are included in the overall infection prevention strategy.

Collaboration between cleaning service employees and healthcare professionals may take many different forms, including frequent communication regarding high-risk locations and patients as well as coordinated measures to stop the spread of illness. For instance, healthcare professionals can advise cleaning employees about patients who have contagious diseases so that the cleaning crew can give priority to cleaning and sanitizing the places where these patients have been.

This partnership will support the hospital’s initiatives to lower HAIs, enhancing patient satisfaction and results. In order to break the chain of infection and support a safe healthcare environment, effective coordination between hospital cleaning service employees and healthcare professionals is essential. These two groups may make sure that infection prevention procedures are included in every element of healthcare delivery, from patient care to facility maintenance, by cooperating and communicating efficiently.

MEASURING THE IMPACT OF HOSPITAL CLEANING SERVICES

Without the use of good measurements and assessments, It can be challenging to pinpoint problem areas and make the required adjustments to infection prevention procedures used by the employees of hospital cleaning services.

There are various methods to gauge how well hospital cleaning services are preventing infections. Tracking healthcare-associated infection (HAI) rates before and after introducing new cleaning and disinfection procedures is standard practice. Healthcare institutions can assess the efficacy of their cleaning services in stopping the spread of infectious pathogens by comparing these rates.

Regular auditing of cleaning procedures is a crucial measuring tool. This may entail watching the cleaning crew in operation, ensuring that cleaning and disinfection supplies are used correctly, and testing surfaces for the presence of infectious agents. Audits can assist in locating areas where cleaning service workers might require more training or where cleaning methods might require revision. This is another area where close collaboration between hospitals and cleaning service providers is key.

DISCOVERING THE RIGHT NEXT STEP

It’s crucial to stop the spread of illness in healthcare institutions, which calls for an all-encompassing strategy. Maintaining a clean and hygienic environment through the use of efficient cleaning techniques and contemporary technology is one of the process’ most important components.

At A&A Elevated Facility Solutions, we are devoted to providing hospitals and healthcare institutions with the best cleaning services since we recognize how important this procedure is. By employing the SYNC 360 cleaning approach, our team of experts makes certain that every step of the cleaning procedure is carried out at a professional level, resulting in a cleaner that is more effective and comprehensive.

Furthermore, the utilization of contemporary technology like HEPA-filtered vacuums and the Clorox Total 360 sprayer, both of which neutralize dangerous germs, further strengthens our ability to sanitize hospital surfaces. 

You may make a big step toward preventing the spread of illness in your institution by selecting A&A Elevated Facility Solutions as your hospital cleaning services provider. With the aid of our cutting-edge cleaning techniques and tools, we can help decrease healthcare-associated infections and maintain a safe and healthy environment for both patients and employees. To find out more about how we can help you meet your infection control objectives, get in touch with us right now.