Why UV air filtration units are critical to patient – and caregiver – safety, and how to broach the topic with customers
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, conversations on how to reduce airborne transmission of pathogen have come front and center. UV air filtration units are one solution distributor reps can discuss with their customers. In the following Q&A, Alan Kivia, president of Medical Illumination, and Rob Saron, senior vice president, global distribution, Symmetry Surgical, provide insights on the benefits of the technology, its proper uses in different care settings, and how distributor reps can approach accounts about the topic.
Repertoire: How old are UV air filtration units? That is to say, how long have they been around?
The first commercial grade UV-C lamps were developed in the 1930s and were used primarily in hospitals to neutralize viruses, bacteria, and molds. Due to the harmful effects UV-C can have on the skin, they are used only in unoccupied spaces.
UV24 was introduced as VidaShield in April 2016. The product line was acquired by Medical Illumination in April 2019 and was introduced into the distribution market in late 2019.
Repertoire: What improvements have been made to the technology in the ensuing years?
Being able to use UV-C to deactivate airborne pathogens in occupied spaces was made possible by shielding the UV-C in an enclosed irradiation chamber. In such devices, air is brought into the irradiation chamber through the use of fans where it is exposed to the UV-C in the appropriate dose to destroy the pathogens, while assuring that no harmful rays escape from the fixture. The units should run continuously, turning the air over in the room approximately every 15 minutes. By incorporating the irradiation chamber into ceiling lighting fixtures, the installation and retrofit of existing rooms is easy.
It has also been shown that much of the surface contamination in a facility is due to pathogens settling out of the air. Use of these units has shown to significantly reduce the pathogens found on surfaces within the area. Because the UV-C deactivates molds in the air, odors are often dramatically reduced in the space.
Repertoire: Where are they typically installed? Hospitals (and if so, where in the hospital)? Long-term-care facilities? Outpatient surgery centers?
Units are appropriate in any areas where people gather, in any location where there may be exposure to harmful airborne pathogens, or in any location where individuals with compromised immune systems may be.
In the hospital, studies have shown that the areas with the highest bio-burden are the Emergency Room and the staff changing rooms. Soiled linen closets also are areas where high amounts of airborne pathogens are found. Besides these obvious areas, ICUs, patient recovery areas, nurse stations and corridors around the surgical suite are also prime areas.
Outside of the hospital and surgical center facility, such units are beneficial in cancer treatment centers, compounding pharmacies, dental offices, long term care facilities, assisted living facilities, day care facilities, schools, offices and any other areas where groups may congregate.
Repertoire: How about physician offices? Does it make sense for a physician to have an air filtration unit in exam rooms?
UV-C units not only help to reduce airborne pathogens from transferring between patients, they help to reduce pathogens transferred to the staff. Whenever doctors, nurses, or office staff contract highly contagious diseases, the costs to a practice can be very high due to staff missing work and being unable to treat patients. Any disease contracted at a medical facility can be damaging to the facility’s reputation. Since Medical Illumination acquired this product, it has fairly significantly reduced the distributor’s and thus the end users price.
Repertoire: Who would be the typical decision-maker(s) to acquire an air filtration unit in:
- The hospital? Infection Control departments and facilities departments
- Long-term-care facility? Management and facilities departments
- Surgery center? Infection Control departments and facilities departments
- Physician office? Office Managers, Physicians, facilities departments
Repertoire: How about the distributor rep, such as those who read Repertoire? What’s their role?
Distributor reps should be on the lookout for opportunities where this technology can help to reduce airborne transmission.
Other airborne pathogens such as influenza and MRSA, to name a few, are always a threat, and can stay airborne for much longer periods of time than coronavirus. None the less, having this product cleaning the air we breathe 24/7 can only lead to a healthier work environment. This is good for the physician, the staff and the patients. The culture around this product has changed. A month ago when we would talk about this, doctors considered it a luxury item, unnecessary and superfluous. That has changed in short order, and I believe permanently. They weren’t giving enough attention to how quickly contagious diseases can spread through the air and how they, their staff, and their patients can be exposed when a contagious patient is present. Those risks have been more fully exposed by the pandemic.
Distribution reps should be talking about this product when the PPE subject is being discussed or when doctors are asking about air filtration systems or UV robots.
Repertoire: Among hospital customers, what are the most common objections? How do you respond?
Costs are typically the biggest objection since many units may be necessary to adequately cover a large area. It is important to make the customer aware that these units are considered Engineering Controls that once installed do not require any effort from the medical staff. The continuous reduction of bioburden in the air does not require the units to be managed actively like surface disinfection units that use UV-C. Such units have to be moved from room to room when the rooms are unoccupied, often requiring a dedicated person to manage this operation.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, hospitals often felt they were doing enough to manage the quality of the air throughout their facilities by wiping down counters and surface cleaning in combination with robots. Now that we see the effects of what a highly contagious airborne pathogen can do, we realize that more can be done.
Repertoire: What about long-term-care facilities?
Again, the initial costs to purchase and install units throughout the facility. Protecting the patients, staff, visitors, and reputations are the main benefit drivers. For example, if highly contagious flu were to spread throughout a facility, the costs would be very high.
In long-term-care facilities, there is typically no time when rooms will be unoccupied long enough to do complete disinfection, and even if there were, new pathogens can be introduced the moment someone enters the room.
Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, long-term care facilities often felt they were doing enough to manage the quality of the air throughout their facilities by surface cleaning and purchasing robots. Now that we see the effects of what a highly contagious airborne pathogen can do, we realize that more can be done.
Repertoire: And physician offices/clinics?
Costs will always be the main objection, with the benefit being the reduced likelihood transmitting airborne pathogens between individuals. However, you do not need to do the whole office or facility at one time. The office could do the waiting room or rooms first and then do exam rooms a few at a time.
Repertoire: Is there a consumables trail? What is it? And if so, would the med/surg distributor carry them? Or would it be an HVAC service provider?
Units require that the intake filter be replaced every 3 months and the UV lamp be replaced once a year. An annual maintenance kit includes one UV lamp and 4 filters. These kits can be put on automatic reorder annually for each unit at a customer’s facility through the med/surg distributor.
Repertoire: Anything else to add that might encourage Repertoire readers to discuss air filtration units with their customers?
Medical facility staff spend an enormous amount of time cleaning and disinfecting their facilities on a daily basis, but the air is often overlooked. In fact, the air in a facility is often the dirtiest right after the surface cleaning process is complete as much of the matter that has been on surfaces, linens, etc. become airborne from the cleaning process. Studies have shown that air purification units using UV-C have reduced hospital acquired infections dramatically once installed.
Sidebar:
The effectiveness of air filtration units and COVID-19
While the unit has not been specifically tested with COVID-19, and therefore not validated, the white paper shows that other coronavirus removal rates from a single pass through the unit are 100%.