A. R.
K Baker
ENG 102
4 May 2012
Microorganisms at Work
This topic is about how microorganisms continue to live in hospital rooms even after the rooms have been cleaned. The organisms that concern me are the multi resistant ones. It starts with a patient who is in isolation because of one of these bacteria’s and then discharged from the hospital after they are well. If these organisms are on the bedside table or the handrails the patient is already cured so it will not affect them. What about the patient coming in the room next? It is left to the housekeepers to clean the room well enough to prevent the spread of these infections.
These infections that are spread from one patient to another are called nosocomial infections. They are hospital acquired bacteria’s. I came to this topic after my daughter had this exact thing happen to her. She is a brittle diabetic and at one point required a lot of hospital visits. After one of these visits she started to develop a boil. This in turn caused her blood sugar to go up and we ended up back in the hospital. Thinking the boil was a spider bite we were surprised to find out it was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). They explained that it was a nosocomial infection that was probably acquired on our last hospital visit. When asked how she got it they said it was multi resistant and was passed from something she came in contact with that another patient would have touched.
This is a problem that has been on the rise over the recent decade. Because bacteria has become more resistant for other reasons they live on surfaces longer. Once they find a person who has a weakened immune system or no antibiotic in their system they settle in on the new host. The issue has been addressed in many hospitals and cleaning measures have stepped up a notch. But the problem continues to rise and new techniques are being looked at.
This issue is important because there have been no sure fire solutions yet. The insurance companies have taken a new interest in it too. If a patient gets a hospital acquired infection the insurance company will not pay for it. Now that it has hit on a money issue for the hospital they have taken a new interest. Does it cost more to pay for the patient or more to improve the cleaning methods. Research has been done to introduce new ideas but I have a thought on the subject.
I believe that a new sanitizing solution would be the answer. When an alcohol swab is used on a person to clean an area it is allowed to dry for about a minute before the procedure. My thought is to use a sanitizer the same way. Once a room has been cleaned I think a fine mist spray should be used before the housekeeper leaves the room. This fine mist spray would contain antibacterial that would be left to dry on the surfaces. I will show how research has proven this as a way to effectively kill bacteria before it can be spread to the next person.

White, Liza F, Dancer, Stephanie J, Robertson, Chris. “A microbiological evaluation of

hospital cleaning methods.” International Journal of Environmental Health

Research August 2007; 17(4): 285 – 295

This article shows how an experiment was done to test cleaning results in a hospital. There are four different cleaning methods used: “Mop and vacuum’, ‘Spray and clean’, ‘Wet scrub” and steam cleaning for the curtains. A microbiological screening method was used before and after to identify the amount of bacteria left in the rooms after cleaning. The cleaning solutions for each were described and all fell under regulations. The article tells about the microorganisms that are the most resistant including MRSA and C. Diff. This article is presented in an objective manner. It is simply a basis that was used to show how many of the microorganisms are left after cleaning if any at all. As it tests the rooms also in different time periods it leaves the impression of not being too narrow in its research. This study is one of many conducted by the authors to try to improve on cleaning but this one is only the facts. The primary point at the end is to show the effect of different methods used. Although it is not leaning to a certain side the article does share the results in a way that assures the reader that hospital rooms are still clean, just not as clean as they could be. This article will be a good basis for my paper. In shows that the methods used are better combined but not always used that way. Whether it is because of the amount of man power or the cost of cleaning material I do not know but intend to find out. The facts used in this article about the microorganisms were exactly my concern and targeted my subject.

Rutala, William A., Ph.D., M.P.H., Weber David J. M.D., M.P.H. and the Healthcare Infection
Control Practices Advisory Committee (HICPAC): available at http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/Disinfection_Sterilization/Pages29_32Disinfectio n_Nov_2008.pdf[->0] This article is from the Center for Disease Control and tells of the regulations required for cleaning hospital rooms. They set the standards used across the United States. It explains first how touching items shows little risk in exposing you to microorganisms if your skin is intact. It tells how this is a natural barrier to infection. It then goes on to say medical items can contain bacteria and can be contributed to the spread of nosocomial infections. It tells you then that the use of antimicrobial disinfectant should be used at minimal costs to the hospitals. It states that EPA low or intermediate level disinfectant is sufficient. This article is full of references to other studies and summarizes what it thinks is important. While reassuring the reader that there is not a great need but a minimal need to disinfect hospital rooms. It places importance on some items more than others and feels strongly one side, as if not to alarm the public. It does state that the use of a disinfectant is recommended over soap and water. That would be necessary since they do require the EPA disinfectants. This article will be helpful to my essay. It gives me a point to make on awareness. With nosocomial infections being on the rise and the CDC making the controlling regulations you would have thought they would be stronger. Apparently they are not that concerned or are they? That is one of the things I want to find out. Have they been involved with the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic? Are there petitions to them for stronger regulations? Is the decision left to the individual hospitals? Insurance companies will not pay for a nosocomial infection acquired during a hospital stay. Will they be the regulators?
Carling Philip C., Briggs, Janet L, Perkins, Jeanette, Highlander, Deborah. “Improved Cleaning Of Patient Rooms Using a New Targeting Method.” CID 2006:42 (1 February)
385-388

This article was written in Clinical Infectious Diseases of the Infectious Disease Society of America. This study in this article was conducted to show the effect of better cleaning methods in reference particularly to Clostridium difficile (C. diff) and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). It shows how a significant improvement can be made in eliminating these microorganisms. Their method focuses on educating the cleaning staff in the process. To decrease nosocomial infections they stress improved cleaning activities and disinfectants. Their focus is on eliminating healthcare associates from spreading the infections. This article includes other studies to prove a point. But their own study brings about the result that they are trying to prove. It is strictly on one side and for better cleaning methods. It focuses on ways to clean as opposed to better cleaning supplies. In this way they are not introducing a more expensive product and this may be accepted easier from hospitals. How much does it cost to educate your employees? Compare this to the cost they now have to pay for hospital acquired nosocomial infections. It is a “for the good of all the people” article. This is a primary source for my paper. It is exactly what I am trying to say without the additional product I think is important. While the idea behind it opposes what I am trying to prove, this article gives me a starting point after proving that there is a lack in the cleaning methods presently used. The facts used in this article back up what I am trying prove by showing the difference in the before and after. It also helps make my point that if this method helps then how much more would it help if we had a better product to use

[->0] - http://www.cdc.gov/hicpac/pdf/Disinfection_Sterilization/Pages29_32Disinfectio