Jan Gralton, Senior Advisor, Infection Prevention and Control Program, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care1, Jennifer Caldwell, Senior Project Officer, Infection Prevention and Control Program, Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care1
1Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care, 255 Elizabeth Street Sydney, NSW 2000, HAI@safetyandquality.gov.au
Abstract:
Routine environmental cleaning in healthcare settings involves the use of a neutral detergent solution and clean water. The Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection
in Healthcare currently recommends using a disinfectant after routine cleaning only if a surface is contaminated by a multidrug-resistant organism, or bodily fluids, such as blood, faeces and urine.
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care has recently undertaken a systematic literature review to examine whether the addition of a disinfectant to the routine cleaning process reduces the risk of disease transmission and healthcare-associated infections. The review also considered whether the addition of a disinfectant to routine cleaning practice leads to additional benefits, such as stricter adherence to policies and procedures, improved cleaning techniques, enhanced infection prevention and control practices and a strengthened patient safety culture. The associated risks of using a disinfectant as part of routine cleaning, such as antimicrobial resistance, environmental risks, work health and safety concerns, and the potential for equipment damage, were also examined as part of the review.
This presentation will outline the key findings of the literature review and discuss how the Commission will use these findings to update the recommendations and guidance for the environmental and equipment cleaning in the Australian Guidelines for the Prevention and Control of Infection in Healthcare.