Monitoring the Effectiveness of Hospital Cleaning Practices by Use of an Adenosine Triphosphate Bioluminescence Assay

2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 678-684 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Boyce ◽  
Nancy L. Havill ◽  
Diane G. Dumigan ◽  
Michael Golebiewski ◽  
Ola Balogun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phase I ◽  
Adenosine Triphosphate ◽  
Phase Ii ◽  
Relative Light Unit ◽  
Surface Samples ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence ◽  
Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Hospital Cleaning

Objective.To evaluate the usefulness of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay for assessing the efficacy of daily hospital cleaning practices.Design.A 2-phase prospective intervention study.Setting.A university-affiliated community teaching hospital.Methods.During phase I of our study, 5 high-touch surfaces in 20 patient rooms were sampled before and after daily cleaning. Moistened swabs were used to sample these surfaces and were then plated onto routine and selective media, and aerobic colony counts were determined after 48 hours of incubation. Specialized ATP swabs were used to sample the same high-touch surfaces in the 20 patient rooms and were then placed in luminometers, and the amount of ATP present was expressed as relative light units. During phase II of our study, after in-service housekeeper educational sessions were given, the housekeepers were told in advance when ATP readings would be taken before and after cleaning.Results.During phase I, the colony counts revealed that the 5 high-touch surfaces were often not cleaned adequately. After cleaning, 24 (24%) of the 100 surface samples were still contaminated with methicillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus, and 16 (16%) of the 100 surface samples still yielded vancomycin-resistant enterococci. ATP readings (expressed as relative light units) revealed that only bathroom grab bars and toilet seats were significantly cleaner after daily cleaning than before. During phase II, a total of 1,013 ATP readings were obtained before and after daily cleaning in 105 rooms. The median relative light unit was significantly lower (ie, surfaces were cleaner) after cleaning than before cleaning for all 5 high-touch surfaces.Conclusions.Suboptimal cleaning practices were documented by determining aerobic colony counts and by use of an ATP bioluminescence assay. ATP readings provided quantitative evidence of improved cleanliness of high-touch surfaces after the implementation of an intervention program.

Comparison of Fluorescent Marker Systems with 2 Quantitative Methods of Assessing Terminal Cleaning Practices

2011 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 1187-1193 ◽  
Author(s):  
John M. Boyce ◽  
Nancy L. Havill ◽  
Heather L. Havill ◽  
Elise Mangione ◽  
Diane G. Dumigan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adenosine Triphosphate ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Fluorescent Marker ◽  
Fluorescent Markers ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence ◽  
Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Community Teaching

Objective.To compare fluorescent markers with aerobic colony counts (ACCs) and an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay system for assessing terminal cleaning practices.Design.A prospective observational survey.Setting.A 500-bed university-affiliated community teaching hospital.Methods.In a convenience sample of 100 hospital rooms, 5 high-touch surfaces were marked with fluorescent markers before terminal cleaning and checked after cleaning to see whether the marker had been entirely or partially removed. ACC and ATP readings were performed on the same surfaces before and after terminal cleaning.Results.Overall, 378 (76%) of 500 surfaces were classified as having been cleaned according to fluorescent markers, compared with 384 (77%) according to ACC criteria and 225 (45%) according to ATP criteria. Of 382 surfaces classified as not clean according to ATP criteria before terminal cleaning, those with the marker removed were significantly more likely than those with the marker partially removed to be classified as clean according to ATP criteria (P = .003).Conclusions.Fluorescent markers are useful in determining how frequently high-touch surfaces are wiped during terminal cleaning. However, contaminated surfaces classified as clean according to fluorescent marker criteria after terminal cleaning were significantly less likely to be classified as clean according to ACC and ATP assays.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Surface Cleaning and Disinfection in a Brazilian Healthcare Facility

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aires G. Santos-Junior ◽  
Adriano M. Ferreira ◽  
Oleci P. Frota ◽  
Marcelo A. Rigotti ◽  
Larissa da S. Barcelos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Adenosine Triphosphate ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Surface Cleaning ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Colony Count ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Cleaning And Disinfection ◽  
Hospital Cleaning

Background: Failures in the processes of cleaning and disinfecting health service surfaces may result in the spread and transfer of pathogens that are often associated with healthcare-related infections and outbreaks. Aims: To assess the effectiveness of environmental surface cleaning and disinfection in a hospital clinic. Method: The study was conducted in a nursing ward with 45 beds. A total of 80 samples from five high-touch surfaces were evaluated before and after cleaning and disinfection, using the following methods: visual inspection, adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence assay, aerobic colony count, Staphylococcus aureus colony count, and evaluation of resistance to methicillin. The data analysis used nonparametric comparative and correlative tests to observe any differences in the pre- and post- cleaning and disinfection results for the surfaces assessed. Results: Effective cleaning and disinfection had a significant effect on only two surfaces when measured for the presence of adenosine triphosphate, the inner bathroom door handle (p=0.007) and the toilet bowl (p=0.01). When evaluated for Staphylococcus aureus colony count, the toilet flush handle also demonstrated a significant effect (p=0.04). Conclusion: The effectiveness of cleaning and disinfection of the surfaces tested was not satisfactory. An educational intervention is recommended for the cleaning and disinfection staff and the nursing team at the healthcare facility. Relevance to Clinical Practice: The data in the study revealed that daily hospital cleaning and disinfection in the sampled sites are not sufficient in medical and surgical wards. Hospital cleanliness must be reevaluated from the point of view of materials, such as an adequate supply of clean cloths, in addition to establishing more precise cleanliness protocols and accurate monitoring systems.

Design and Preliminary Testing of Novel Injection Port Contamination Barrier Devices

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Wax ◽  
Bryan Hill
Keyword(s):  
Adenosine Triphosphate ◽  
Microbial Contamination ◽  
Postoperative Infections ◽  
Protective Shell ◽  
Injection Port ◽  
Preliminary Testing ◽  
Environmental Surfaces ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence ◽  
Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence Assay

Prior studies have linked microbial contamination of intravenous (IV) ports and stopcocks with postoperative infections. Existing technologies to address contamination are not consistently utilized because of the time and effort they require. Herein, novel barrier devices were created that form a protective shell to passively prevent contact between injection sites and practitioner hands or environmental surfaces while still allowing rapid connection of a syringe for injection of medications via an opening in the shell. Prototypes were tested using a grossly contaminated environment and adenosine triphosphate (ATP)-bioluminescence assay. For eight pairs of unshielded versus shielded IV ports/stopcocks, average contamination was 4102 versus 35 RLU (p < 0.02), respectively, indicating that the devices could significantly reduce IV port/stopcock contamination.

scholarly journals Efficiency of cleaning and disinfection of surfaces: correlation between assessment methods

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 1176-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleci Pereira Frota ◽  
Adriano Menis Ferreira ◽  
Odanir Garcia Guerra ◽  
Marcelo Alessandro Rigotti ◽  
Denise de Andrade ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Emergency Care ◽  
Visual Inspection ◽  
Significant Relationships ◽  
Colony Forming Units ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence ◽  
Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Cleaning And Disinfection

ABSTRACT Objective: to assess the correlation among the ATP-bioluminescence assay, visual inspection and microbiological culture in monitoring the efficiency of cleaning and disinfection (C&D) of high-touch clinical surfaces (HTCS) in a walk-in emergency care unit. Method: a prospective and comparative study was carried out from March to June 2015, in which five HTCS were sampled before and after C&D by means of the three methods. The HTCS were considered dirty when dust, waste, humidity and stains were detected in visual inspection; when ≥2.5 colony forming units per cm2 were found in culture; when ≥5 relative light units per cm2 were found at the ATP-bioluminescence assay. Results: 720 analyses were performed, 240 per method. The overall rates of clean surfaces per visual inspection, culture and ATP-bioluminescence assay were 8.3%, 20.8% and 44.2% before C&D, and 92.5%, 50% and 84.2% after C&D, respectively (p<0.001). There were only occasional statistically significant relationships between methods. Conclusion: the methods did not present a good correlation, neither quantitative nor qualitatively.

Adenosine Triphosphate Bioluminescence for Hygiene Monitoring in Health Care Institutions

1994 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 509-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
KLAUS SEEGER ◽  
MANSEL W. GRIFFITHS
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Adenosine Triphosphate ◽  
Meat Product ◽  
Plate Count ◽  
Standard Plate Count ◽  
Atp Assay ◽  
Health Care Institutions ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence ◽  
Bioluminescence Assay ◽  
Atp Bioluminescence Assay

An investigation was conducted to assess the practical use of an adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence assay to evaluate the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitizing meat slicers in eight health care institutions. The ATP bioluminescence assay was compared to conventional swabbing techniques using standard plate count to enumerate microbial load. Assays were performed on meat slicers before use, after slicing a meat product and after sanitizing. There was a general overall agreement in results obtained by both methods but the ATP assay gave a better indication of the cleanliness of the meat slicer as it was able to detect the presence of meat residues left on the blade after improper sanitation. Results were available within 5 min using the ATP bioluminescence method, thus providing an opportunity for immediate remedial action.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document