Lack of enhanced effect of a chlorine dioxide-based cleaning regimen on environmental contamination with Clostridium difficile spores

• Published in: The Journal of hospital infection Vol. 82; no. 1; pp. 64 - 67
• Main Authors: Goldenberg, S.D, Patel, A, Tucker, D, French, G.L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 01-09-2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the digestive system and abdomen; Biological and medical sciences; Chlorine Compounds - pharmacology; Chlorine dioxide; Clostridium difficile; Clostridium difficile - drug effects; Clostridium difficile - isolation & purification; Clostridium Infections - epidemiology; Detergent; Disinfectants - pharmacology; Environmental contamination; Environmental Microbiology; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; General aspects; Healthcare-associated infection; Housekeeping, Hospital - methods; Human bacterial diseases; Human infectious diseases. Experimental studies and models; Humans; Infection Control - methods; Infectious Disease; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Other diseases. Semiology; Oxides - pharmacology; Prevalence; Spores, Bacterial - drug effects; Spores, Bacterial - isolation & purification; Stomach. Duodenum. Small intestine. Colon. Rectum. Anus; Environmental contamination; Detergent; Healthcare-associated infection; Chlorine dioxide; Clostridium difficile; Nosocomial infection; Clostridiales; Diarrhea; Cleaning; Contamination; Spores; Clostridiaceae; Bacteria; Digestive diseases; Intestinal disease; Public health
• ISSN: 0195-6701; 1532-2939
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jhin.2012.06.004

Summary Spores of Clostridium difficile may play a significant role in transmission of disease within the healthcare environment and are resistant to a variety of detergents and cleaning fluids. A range of environmental cleaning agents has recently become available, many of which claim to be sporicidal. We investigated the effect of changing to a chlorine dioxide-based cleaning regimen on C. difficile environmental contamination and patient infection rates. The prevalence of environmental contamination was unaffected with a rate of 8% (9/120) before and 8% (17/212) following the change. Rates of patient infection were also unchanged during these periods.