Introduction

Nosocomial infection is otherwise called hospital-acquired infection. Patients who are admitted for other health issues acquire this infection during a hospital stay of 48 hours or more.

Microbes on inanimate surfaces survive for a long duration, especially in hospitals. This is where immunodeficient patients are at a huge risk to develop a hospital-acquired infection. Not only the patients but the nurses also acquire infection by touching the hospital items.



Present status of nosocomial infection

According to the WHO Statistics, among every 100 hospitalized patients, 7 from developed countries and 10 from developing countries acquire nosocomial infection. Moreover, 15 percent of all hospitalized patients acquire this infection.

Here is the incidence rate of nosocomial infections:

Income countries

Incidence rate

High

3.5%-12%

Middle

5.7%-19.1%

Low

5.7%-19.1%



Moreover, the frequency of nosocomial infection in low-income countries is thrice more than in high-income countries. And, 4-56 percent of deaths occur in neonates, where 75 percent from Sub-Saharan Africa and South-East Asia.



What is the incidence rate of the varied types of nosocomial infections?

The most common types of nosocomial infections include:

Types of nosocomial infections

Incidence rate

Central line-associated bloodstream infections

12-25%

Catheter-associated urinary tract infections

12%

Surgical site infections

2-5%

Ventilator-associated pneumonia

9-27%



Can a disinfectant reduce the nosocomial pathogenic load?

Yes. A study reported nearly 35 percent nosocomial pathogenic contamination by touching the bedside areas of the patients. However, the infection rate came down to 7 percent while touching the cleaned rooms.

This is where an effective disinfectant with long-lasting antibacterial and antiviral effects is required that can reduce the risk of nosocomial infections by more than 90 percent.

Here is the graphical representation that shows the reduction of microbial load after the disinfection step.

Before the disinfection step, there was 96.2 percent microbial load which got reduced to 5.50 percent after disinfection. Hence, this report reveals that there is a 90.7 percent reduction in nosocomial pathogen growth successfully.



Is there any research evidence of nosocomial pathogenic load reduction?

Yes. Around 20-40 percent of these infections are transmitted through hands. The other hotspots in the hospitals include patient’s beds, patient’s bedside tables, door handles, nursing counters, walls, and windows.

A 2018 research study was performed by collecting 54 swabs before and 54 swabs after disinfection from the patient’s bed, bedside table, nursing counters, walls, windows, and door handles of the hospital ward.

Here is the graphical representation of the successful reduction of nosocomial pathogens in the above listed hotspots.






However, only the patient’s bedside tables are left with a lesser load of nosocomial microbes after disinfection.

Similarly, the below mentioned graph shows the variation in the incidence rate of varied nosocomial microbes before and after disinfection. Nearly 10 varied microbes with 67 in number found before disinfection were reduced to 3 microbes with 3 in frequency.



By now, it is evident how an effective disinfectant can reduce the microbial load in hospitals. Let us see how an ideal disinfectant should be.

How an ideal disinfectant should be?

An ideal disinfectant should:

  • Easy to clean

  • Have antibacterial and antiviral effect for a prolonged duration

  • Have a higher shelf life

  • Withstand extreme temperatures

  • Be nontoxic, non-carcinogenic, nonirritant, and non-pungent

  • Be alcohol-free and odor-free

  • Be non-corrosive, non-volatile, non-tainting, and non-staining in nature

  • Work on both porous and non-porous surfaces in hospitals with high infection zone as well







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