Is the combination of UV-C light and bleach less effective than bleach alone for intensive care unit surface disinfection?

ABSTRACT

Background: Chlorine-based disinfectants, such as bleach, are commonly used for cleaning in healthcare settings to prevent the transmission of nosocomial pathogens. To enhance the efficacy of disinfection, ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light systems have been proposed to supplement standard cleaning procedures. As bleach decomposes in UV light, we hypothesised that the use of UV-C light as an adjunct to manual cleaning with bleach, may decrease the efficacy of disinfection instead. Methods: In the laboratory, stainless steel sheets and plastic keyboards were inoculated with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (∼106 CFU/ml) and subjected to treatment with either UV-C light only, bleach only or a combination of UV-C light and bleach. The residual bioburden (CFU/ml) was quantified through conventional microbiological techniques. Results were compared to non-exposed control surfaces and against each treatment strategy. Results: On tested surfaces, there were statistically significant reductions in P. aeruginosa when surfaces were treated with UV-C light only (>2.5 log10 reduction), bleach only (>5.6 log10 reduction) and a combination of UV-C light and bleach (>6.3 log10 reduction) compared to positive control (P < 0.001, all treatment strategies). No significant differences were observed when surfaces were treated with the addition of UV-C light to bleach compared to treatment with bleach alone. Conclusion: There was no difference in the efficacy of disinfection against P. aeruginosa with the combined treatment strategy of UV-C light and bleach compared to bleach alone under laboratory conditions. Further studies are warranted to elucidate the effectiveness of this technology on other healthcare-associated pathogens.