Andrea Maugeri, Beatrice Casini, Enrica Esposito, Sara Bracaloni, Michela Scarpaci, Federico Patanè, Gabriele Milazzo, Antonella Agodi, Martina Barchitta
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Hospital-associated infections (HAIs) are a significant burden on healthcare systems, necessitating effective prevention strategies. Ultraviolet light (UVL) disinfection has emerged as a potential method for reducing HAIs by decontaminating healthcare environments.
Aim: This systematic review evaluates the effectiveness of UVL in reducing HAIs across various hospital settings.
Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, with searches performed in PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus through July 2023. Peer-reviewed observational and experimental studies assessing UVL's impact on HAIs were included. Data extraction focused on study characteristics, UVL type, and infection outcomes. Studies focusing on environmental contamination or lacking sufficient data were excluded.
Findings: Twenty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. UVL types included ultraviolet-C (UV-C), pulsed xenon UV (PX-UV), and unspecified UVL. For PX-UV, several studies reported reductions in infection rates, with some showing up to a 70% decrease in Clostridium difficile infection rates, especially in high-risk areas like intensive care units, though results vary across settings, with some studies not observing significant improvements. UV-C disinfection has also been found to reduce HAIs, with its effectiveness varying based on the healthcare setting and targeted pathogens, and it is most effective when used in conjunction with other infection control strategies.
Conclusion: UVL disinfection technologies have demonstrated potential in reducing HAIs, particularly when integrated into a comprehensive infection prevention strategy. Their effectiveness, however, varies by application, pathogen type, and healthcare setting. Further research is needed to optimize UVL implementation and assess its cost-effectiveness in diverse clinical environments.
期刊介绍：
The Journal of Hospital Infection is the editorially independent scientific publication of the Healthcare Infection Society. The aim of the Journal is to publish high quality research and information relating to infection prevention and control that is relevant to an international audience.
The Journal welcomes submissions that relate to all aspects of infection prevention and control in healthcare settings. This includes submissions that:
provide new insight into the epidemiology, surveillance, or prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance in healthcare settings;
provide new insight into cleaning, disinfection and decontamination;
provide new insight into the design of healthcare premises;
describe novel aspects of outbreaks of infection;
throw light on techniques for effective antimicrobial stewardship;
describe novel techniques (laboratory-based or point of care) for the detection of infection or antimicrobial resistance in the healthcare setting, particularly if these can be used to facilitate infection prevention and control;
improve understanding of the motivations of safe healthcare behaviour, or describe techniques for achieving behavioural and cultural change;
improve understanding of the use of IT systems in infection surveillance and prevention and control.
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