Infection prevention is a top priority for U.S. healthcare systems as cross-contamination and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) cost the industry more than $28 billion and nearly 100,000 lives each year.
COVID-19 brought attention to inadequate disinfection protocols. Typical procedures include discarding multi-use items after a single use, using nursing staff to spray and wipe surfaces with corrosive disinfectants, which is less than 40-percent effective, or incurring the added cost of sending items off-site for decontamination.
A start-up, PURioLABS has developed a high-level, portable disinfection cabinet called PURitALL designed to provide rapid infection microbe-killing on high-touch devices and supplies at the point of care.
“Even in the midst of COVID-19, the healthcare industry still relies on inefficient, manual, and expensive disinfection practices that cost millions of dollars, fill landfills with barely-used items, and redirects nurses away from patient care,” said Mike Whitaker, founder and CEO of PURioLABS. “With the PURitALL high-level disinfection cabinet, hospitals, clinics, and even businesses, schools, sports teams, and the military, have the ability to provide quick, on-the-spot disinfection to common items that are difficult to disinfect.”
The company has proven high-level disinfection efficacy in independent laboratories and is currently conducting multiple pilot studies at leading regional and urban hospitals across the U.S.
“Operational pilots like these show the cabinet’s broad ability to quickly disinfect a growing list of unused supplies and equipment such as blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and more,” said Whitaker. Many of these items are considered difficult to disinfect by the CDC and can be the source of HAIs due to microorganisms such as Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile).
Infection Control: Multi-Billion Dollar Problem
Bacteria, bacterial spores, viruses, and fungi are constantly brought into healthcare facilities and can live on surfaces of medical equipment, personal protective equipment (PPE), unused medical supplies, and worker items such as badges, eyeglasses, phones, and more. If these contaminants are spread to others, this is referred to as a HAI.
HAIs are one of the most common healthcare complications impacting 1 in 25 hospitalized patients leading to higher costs for healthcare systems and patients including prolonged hospital stays and even death. Of the estimated two million U.S. patients who acquire an HAI annually, about 90,000 will die. Yet, studies have shown that up to 70-percent of HAI cases are preventable.
“COVID took the focus off the growing HAI problem but HAI is rearing its head again,” said Linda Spaulding, RNC, CIC, an international infection control consultant. “There is no returning to the old ways. Hospitals must be ready for an instant outbreak from now on.”
Medical devices, supplies, and personal items are placed inside the PURitALL cabinet and put through a 15-minute cycle using PURioLAB’s proprietary multi-modal disinfectant delivery process. The treatment does not damage sensitive equipment and items are dry upon completion.
“Infection control is a major priority for nearly every industry as COVID-19 deeply and negatively impacts supply chains, revenue, safety, and costs,” said Whitaker. “PURitALL offers reliable, automated disinfection protocols for the current pandemic and beyond.”
