Quantifying Cleanliness in the Healthcare Environment : Universal Standards Still Lacking
Finding evidence for cleaning is compromised by the fact that modeling
HAI rates against arbitrary measurements of cleaning / cleanliness requires universal standards and these are not yet established .”
— Stephanie J . Dancer , MD
By Kelly M . Pyrek
expert on environmental hygiene in the
An healthcare setting is making a renewed calling for greater interest and investment in the removal and monitoring of surface bioburden in hospitals , thus underscoring the importance of determining how , when , and where to clean .
Stephanie J . Dancer , MD , a consultant microbiologist in NHS Lanarkshire , and professor of microbiology at Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland , UK , states in a new paper ( Dancer , 2023 ) that the criticality of hospital cleaning for controlling healthcare-associated infection ( HAI ) has taken years to acknowledge , due to many factors , including the removal of dirt being “ inextricably entwined with gender and social status , along with lack of evidence and confusion over HAI definitions .”
She adds that a singular focus on endogenous infection due to human carriage can undermine attention that should also be directed toward managing environmental reservoirs of potentially pathogenic microorganisms . The significant challenge , however , lies in quantifying “ cleaning ” and “ cleanliness .”
As Dancer ( 2023 ) explains , “ Finding evidence for cleaning is compromised by the fact that modeling HAI rates against arbitrary measurements of cleaning / cleanliness requires universal standards and these are not yet established . Furthermore , the distinction between cleaning ( soil removal ) and cleanliness ( soil remaining ) is usually overlooked . Tangible bench marking for both cleaning methods and all surface types within different units , with modification according to patient status , would be invaluable for domestic planning , monitoring and specification .” In her paper , Dancer ( 2023 ) states , “ Finding evidence for cleaning is compromised by the fact that
22 september 2023 • www . healthcarehygienemagazine . com