A clean sweep at Raigmore
C.difficile ward get the specialist treatment
WARD 4C in Raigmore Hospital is undergoing some special cleaning measures over a 24 hour period from early Tuesday afternoon through until Wednesday afternoon.
The ward is currently closed to new admissions due to an increase in Clostridium difficile. It has been identified that keeping the fabric of the building in Ward 4C microbiologically clean is unlikely to be addressed by changes to routine cleaning measures. This forms part of our planned programme of work to look at any further enhancements to infection prevention and control across our hospital sites.
One of the methods we have been assessing is using Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour. This new method is particularly effective at decontaminating the fabric of the building (floor, walls etc). The impact of this is that it will reduce the environmental infection load.
A detailed risk assessment has now been carried out and a decision made that using this method would support longer term reductions in infections in this ward. To use the vapour,however, it has to be done with no people (staff or patients) in the area and requires some additional safety measures.
This is a 24hour process and the ward will be completely closed and sealed off this afternoon (Monday 1st October) and reopened on the afternoon of Wednesday 3rd October.
Dr Emma Watson, Consultant Microbiologist and Lead Infection Control Doctor for NHS Highland, said: “There are practicalchallenges that we have already highlighted in keeping the fabric of the building microbiologically clean.
“Despite the best efforts of our staff we are still seeing cases of hospital associated infection so we have been looking at new and additional measures. Using the vapour is not a substitute for other actions. Current existing measures will all still be maintained. We usedHydrogen Peroxide Vapour earlier in the year in ITU with very good results. Our original decision to use the vapour was based on its use in the showcase hospitals in England and its effectiveness in other UK hospitals to supplement day to day infection, prevention and control measures.”
In order to plan and oversee this cleaning exercise the following arrangements have been put in place:
§ During the period the ward is closed all patients will be transferred to another ward.
§ Senior doctors and nurses caring for the patients have already discussed the move with each patient.
The cleaning process will be overseen by an expert team who have carried out this process in other hospitals.
Members of the infection control team will also be on hand to answer any questions from patients or members of the public.
No special precautions are required of visitors to the hospital. However, as is always the case, all visitors should pay particular attention to their hand hygiene when entering and leaving wards to help prevent the spread of infection.
Notes to editors:
Health Protection Agency Rapid Review Panel -http://www.hpa.org.uk/ProductsServic...idReviewPanel/
