Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are an unfortunately common complication of hospital care, and while there are varying factors associated with HAI, contaminated surfaces and equipment can contribute to the problem. Although hand hygiene is an important disruptor of the cross-transmission of microorganisms, improved cleaning and disinfection of medical equipment and environmental surfaces is fundamental to reducing their potential contribution to HAI.1,2 Increased focus on the need for improved surface disinfection in healthcare settings – kill more germs!, take less time!, don’t damage my equipment! – has only added to the confusion many healthcare workers experience as they are trying to select the best possible product for their environment of care.
Long a mantra of GOJO®, inventors of PURELL® hand sanitizer, formulation counts. As with many infection prevention products sold into healthcare, from hand hygiene to surface disinfection and beyond, not all products are created equally. Because of this, it is important for healthcare facilities to critically evaluate both the products that they have as well as those they are considering. For surface disinfecting wipes, there are 4 simple but important areas to consider when evaluating your options: efficacy against relevant pathogens, a good safety profile (non-toxic), high material/device compatibility, and ease of use.
Real-world Efficacy. The pathogens responsible for the majority of HAI, that also have the highest risk of mortality and resultant increased healthcare costs, are caused by a group of bacteria commonly referred to as ESKAPE pathogens. This group of bacteria is so named for their ability to “escape” the biocidal action of antimicrobial drugs. The ESKAPE acronym, or mnemonic, stands for Enterococcus faecium/faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter species. Using a patent-pending, ethyl alcohol-only formulation, the new PURELL® Healthcare Surface Disinfecting Wipes kill the problematic ESKAPE bacteria and seven of the most common drug-resistant bacteria and viruses significant to the healthcare environment (including bloodborne pathogens, SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, respiratory syncytial virus, and norovirus) in 2 minutes or less. This broad-spectrum efficacy with rapid kill time against these highly relevant healthcare pathogens is critical to help support busy clinical workflows.
Highest Safety Profile. As an EPA Category IV product (see Figure 1), the PURELL wipes achieve the EPA’s lowest toxicity rating (and highest safety profile) – meaning no personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for use – while also being FDA Food Code Compliant. Meeting the Food Code requirement means that the EPA has evaluated the formulation of the product and has indicated that it is safe for use on food-contact surfaces without a post-application water rinse. Reading the Instructions for Use (IFU) on many other healthcare-grade surface disinfectants will reveal language advising against the use on surfaces that food may come into contact with. This is a unique attribute as it is incredibly rare for hospital grade surface disinfectants to also meet the EPA requirements for use as no-rinse food contact surface sanitizers. Further, it is even more rare for a hospital-grade surface disinfectant meeting the EPA requirements for a no-rinse food-contact surface sanitizer to have such an extensive range of efficacy, including ESKAPE pathogens, drug-resistant bacteria, viruses, and bloodborne pathogens as previously discussed. This allows healthcare workers and hospitals the freedom to use surface disinfecting wipes anywhere from over-bed tables to NICU rooms.
Versatile Compatibility. Costs associated with damaged equipment are major concerns for healthcare facilities, and damaged surfaces (even if clean) can negatively affect patient perceptions of the aesthetics and cleanliness of the hospital and environment. Leveraging our history, experience and understanding of formulating with ethyl alcohol, the new PURELL wipes also offer hospitals a wide range of proven surface material compatibility, including electronic devices. While it is true that many materials in healthcare are chosen specifically for their resistance to chemical degradation (e.g., plastics – a lightweight and cost-effective alternative to stainless steel), there are a group of materials used in healthcare despite known sensitivity to chemical degradation because of the important role they play. Some examples of these materials are aluminum (think walkers), acrylics (think incubators or sneeze guards) and polyurethane (think tubing or protective covers). The PURELL Healthcare Surface Disinfecting Wipes have been shown to be compatible with each of these sensitive materials, unlike products that contain actives such as bleach, hydrogen peroxide or quaternary ammonium compounds (quats).
Coverage You Can Count On. According to the EPA, if a surface dries more quickly than the required time for efficacy, known as the product’s “contact time”, another wipe should be used – and so on – until the desired surface area has been covered for the entire kill time required. Contact time is an important part of how much surface area one wipe can effectively keep “wet” for the required time (see “Healthcare Terms” for additional definitions) as visible wetness is a critical measure of product efficacy. In healthcare settings, surface wipes are chosen specifically because they offer the potential for on-demand disinfection that is both efficient and effective. Therefore, when facilities are considering surface disinfecting wipes, understanding how much surface area one wipe can effectively cover for the listed contact time is integral to how many wipes should be used to clean the needed surfaces, devices or equipment. In a head-to-head comparison, the new PURELL wipes were proven to cover 3X to 5X the average surface area covered by two of the leading healthcare surface disinfecting wipes on the market – allowing hospitals to do more with less.3
Only PURELL, the most trusted brand in hospitals, offers the efficacy you require with the compatibility you need and efficiency you want – all in just one wipe.
Healthcare Terms
There are several terms used within healthcare that are often incorrectly used interchangeably. It is helpful to clarify them to avoid confusion:
| Contact time (wet time, kill time, or dwell time) | The amount of time the disinfectant product must be “wet” and “in contact” with the surface to effectively kill all of the organism(s) that were tested. |
| Dry time | Time from application until the surface is fully dry. This time should be at least as long as the contact time to ensure efficacy. |
| Undisturbed contact time | Time the surface remains untouched after product application. This term implies the surface does not need to remain wet for the contact time but just untouched. This term is sometimes used by industry or in the field, but it is an oversimplification and does not match regulations and guidance. Per the EPA and CDC, the surface must remain wet, and not just undisturbed, for the time specified on the label. |
1 Otter JA, Yezli S, Salkeld JA, French GL. Evidence that contaminated surfaces contribute to the transmission of hospital pathogens and an overview of strategies to address contaminated surfaces in hospital settings. Am J Infect Control. 2013 May;41(5 Suppl):S6-11. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2012.12.004. PMID: 23622751.
2 Donskey CJ. Does improving surface cleaning and disinfection reduce health care–associated infections? Am J Infect Control. 2013;41(suppl 5):S12–S19.
3 *Based on 5 PURELL Surface Wipes vs 5 of each of the leading competitive wipes and two minute dry time. GOJO Development Lab, 2945R1R1; LIMS #: P21-0084-001