What Researchers Did
Researchers compared the amount of bacteria remaining on surfaces inside a hyperbaric chamber after a standard manual cleaning versus after manual cleaning followed by a 30-minute disinfection with an ultraviolet-C (UV-C) robot.
What They Found
The study found a significantly greater reduction in the total amount of bacteria on surfaces when UV-C disinfection was added to standard cleaning. Specifically, surfaces that are not usually cleaned by hand, such as benches and phones, showed the largest decrease in bacterial load after the UV-C treatment. This indicates that UV-C light effectively reduces bacteria in hard-to-reach areas within the chamber.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
This study was conducted in a single hyperbaric chamber and did not evaluate the long-term impact of UV-C disinfection on actual patient infection rates.