Health & Fitness
Edward-Elmhurst Health: Keeping hospitals clean during COVID-19
Edward-Elmhurst Health is using the latest disinfection technology, including the Xenex Lightstrike and Altapure System.
Edward Hospital in Naperville has used Xenex machines — germ-zapping robots that kill the MERS virus as well as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), MRSA and other germs, by pulsing ultraviolet C (UVC) light — for years.
Recently, Edward upgraded to the newest Xenex model, Lightstrike, which can kill the COVID-19 virus in two minutes.
The Xenex robots have been shown in numerous published studies to dramatically reduce hospital infection rates, even C. diff, which is particularly hard to eliminate.
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The robots are used in conjunction with the normal cleaning routine, including wiping away all visible dirt/fluids, emptying trash and removing linens. Afterward, the robot is brought in to destroy the deadly germs that can't be seen.
No one can be in the room while the Xenex device is being operated because the bright light can irritate human eyes. It is safe to watch the device pulsing through a glass window. If someone does walk in, the robot has a motion sensor which immediately turns off the device.
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The housekeeping team at Edward uses Xenex on 35 rooms per day (on average) up to 56 rooms per day.
At Elmhurst Hospital, powerful Altapure ultrasonic machines kill 100 percent of bacteria, viruses and spores using a mixture of substances that it sprays like a mist over all the surfaces in a room.
Altapure targets highly drug-resistant organisms, such as C. diff, that pose the most urgent threat and can survive on surfaces for weeks, as well as viruses, including COVID-19.
On average, 10 patient rooms a day receive an Altapure high-level disinfection. The system is also part of the routine disinfection process for patient care areas including operating rooms, Emergency Department, cardiac catheterization lab, endoscopy and Family Birthing Center.
Edward-Elmhurst Health (EEH) is fully committed to reducing the risk of acquisition and transmission of healthcare-associated infections in patients, visitors, employees and physicians. Numerous precautions are taken to prevent the spread of infection at Edward and Elmhurst Hospitals.
In addition, all EEH facilities are deep-cleaned every day, including patient rooms and bathrooms, exam rooms, waiting areas and staff workstations.
For more information, visit www.eehealth.org/coronavirus.