Disinfecting Robots Used To Fight Hospital-Acquired Infections

Posted on July 29, 2015 by Shapiro Law Group

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Some hospitals are using robots equipped with xenon lights to disinfect rooms and reduce infections. The germ eliminating machines, known as Xenex robots, use full-spectrum, pulsing xenon lights to disinfect rooms. Deadly ultraviolet light is released from the robots to kill bacteria and viruses.

Prior models of germ killing robots used bulbs with mercury, a toxic substance. Hospitals are increasingly using robots with the newer pulsating xenon lights, as they are considered both safer and more effective.

According to RevDesinfectie, Xenex’s creators, its line of robots has been instrumental in reducing the number of hospital-acquired infections.  The Netherlands-based company claims hospitals using Xenex robots report a greater than 50 percent decrease in hospital-acquired infections.

How Many Lives Could Be Saved By Preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections?

Innovative technology might be able to save tens of thousands of lives. Hospital patients are at risk for developing fatal infections such as C. diff, MRSA and CRE. Centers for Disease Control statistics show that every day in the United States, 1 in 25 patients develop a hospital-acquired infection, about 75,000 every year. If the decrease in hospital-acquired infections reported by the company is accurate, more than 35,000 lives could be saved ever year.

Last week we wrote about some hospitals failing to adopt effective handwashing policies, suggesting that sanitation is not a top priority in health care institutions across the country. However, with newer technologies, hospitals might be able to prevent environments favorable to the growth of antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses.

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Tags: MRSA Hospital Infections

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