It is needless to say that hospitals are the main breeding grounds of harmful bacteria and viruses that cause disease. These pathogens may spread easily within the confines of a healthcare facility if proper hospital disinfection is not done. The use of medical disinfectants or hospital-grade disinfectants can help contain and prevent the spread of viruses.

What is Hospital Disinfection?

In general, disinfection is the process of eliminating pathogens on the environmental surfaces, reusable medical devices, and other inanimate objects.  The process can be done either by using chemical or physical agents. HAIs or Hospital Acquired Infections are very common and can be acquired through hospitals, outpatient settings such as ambulatory surgical centers, end-stage renal disease facilities, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers.

Studies show that disinfection, when done in a proper manner can block the transmission of HAIs.

Thus,  the importance of proper disinfection on hospital surfaces, as well as medical devices are important. Here are other reasons why it is essential.

1. HAIs can be lethal

Healthcare-associated infections are the most common complication among people receiving hospital care, a study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality shows.

In the United States alone, about 75,000 people died due to HAIs in 2012. This is out of the total 722,000 people who have acquired HAI. The death rate can be alarming and also makes it lethal.

2. Multi-drug resistant organisms are present in hospitals

Patients with viral infections are confined in hospitals, which make hospitals major source of bacteria and other harmful microbes. These pathogens waiting to infect patients who are often more susceptible to infections due to their illnesses, and even those who are healthy.

According to recent studies, there are certain strains of multi-drug resistant organisms that cause infections. These infections are difficult to treat.

3. Safety of patients

The safety of patients should be at the forefront. Thus, regular and rigorous surface disinfection and cleaning methods are important and should be thoroughly-administered. Hospitals should ensure rooms and equipment are safe for patients.

4. HAIs can cause serious disease

Tuberculosis, AIDs, and mucormycosis are some examples of infectious diseases caused by pathogens such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses. These viruses mutate and strive on surfaces that are not regularly cleaned and sanitized.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), infectious disease, maternal, neonatal and nutrition conditions caused 23% or 12.88 million global deaths in 2012.

Patients may acquire HAIs while they are receiving treatment for another health condition. These can be avoided by following strict guidelines for hospital disinfection and medical sterilization of patient-care equipment set by the Health Department.

5. 1 out of 25 hospital patients has acquired HAI

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), every day, about 1 in 25 hospital patients has at least one healthcare-associated infection.  Another study suggested that more than half of all HAIs occurred outside of the intensive care unit. This is how serious HAIs are and why hospital disinfection should be implemented.