RESEARCH ARTICLE
Educational Intervention on Cleaning and Sanitation of Surfaces in a Pediatric Hospitalization Unit
Lucas de Oliveira Bernardes1, Fernando Ribeiro dos Santos2, Bruna Moretti Luchesi1, Adriano Menis Ferreira1, Liliane Moretti Carneiro4, Mara Cristina Ribeiro Furlan3, Larissa da Silva Barcelos3, Denise de Andrade4, Thalita Grazielly Santos5, Aires Garcia dos Santos Junior3, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2023Volume: 17
E-location ID: e18744346228139
Publisher ID: e18744346228139
DOI: 10.2174/0118744346228139231102051053
Article History:
Received Date: 21/9/2022Revision Received Date: 18/1/2023
Acceptance Date: 15/2/2023
Electronic publication date: 3/11/2023
Collection year: 2023
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Introduction:
Environmental surfaces may serve as a reservoir for various microorganisms and consequently, they represent a potential risk for the spread of healthcare-associated infections.
Objective:
This study aimed to assess the cleaning and sanitation of surfaces (CSS) before and after implementing a Standardization Program for Cleaning and Sanitation of Surfaces (SPCSS).
Methods:
An analytical, comparative, and intervention study was conducted from 2020 to 2021 in a pediatric hospitalization unit in Midwest Brazil. Four frequently touched surfaces were monitored before and after the cleaning and sanitation process using the following methods: Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) quantification, Colony-Forming Unit (CFU) count, and visual inspection. The study consisted of three stages: stage I (situational diagnosis of the CSS process), stage II (implementation of the SPCSS), and stage III (assessment 60 days after implementing the program). A total of 576 assessments were performed in all three study stages.
Results:
The CSS process was effective in all three study stages by using the ATP and CFU methods. In stage I, statistically significant results were obtained for four surfaces using the ATP method, and two by the CFU count. In stages II and III, all surfaces presented lower ATP and CFU results (p<0.05). In the visual inspection, only the bathroom door handle (stage I: p=0.041; stage III: p=0.007) and toilet flush handle (stage I: p=0.026; stage III: p=0.007) passed the test.
Implications for Nursing:
This study presents subsidies to evaluate the cleaning and disinfection process carried out by the nursing and hygiene team.
Conclusion:
The SPCSS exerted a positive impact on the CSS process.
