Adena Begins Use of Germ Zapping Robots

 Each day, hospitals across the country have hundreds of patients and visitors enter their facilities. Most unknowingly bring in germs and other contaminants, including microorganisms, which cause infections. These germs are becoming more hardy and antibiotic-resistant. To help battle these germs and lower infection rates for our patients, Adena Regional Medical Center has purchased two new Xenex LightStrike germ zapping robots. 

The equipment has been proven to quickly destroy the germs and bacteria that can cause infections using intense ultraviolet (UV) light, and the Xenex robots essentially destroy potential harmful organisms before they pose a threat to patients and employees.

“Xenex light disinfection is proven to decrease infection risk,” explained Director of Quality Amy Robertson. “As we know, environmental cleaning is a vital component to infection prevention improvement activities. It does not change our manual patient room cleaning process, but provides an added layer of protection for all exposed surfaces in the room. Adding this technology only enhances our process and improves patient safety by decreasing the risk of infection.”

Currently, the two robots are being used in the C-section rooms of Labor and Delivery, and in inpatient rooms following a discharge or transfer. The devices are also being used to clean operating rooms in the evening hours.   

“Our goal is to keep the robots running continuously,” said Robertson. “As we work through implementation, we will review usage patterns to strategically place the robots in other high risk areas in the future.”

Hundreds of hospitals across the country are using LightStrike robots to disinfect their facilities, and several hospitals have published peer-reviewed studies showing 50%-100% reductions in the spread of infections including: Cdiff/MRSA and SSI. 

The LightStrike system enhances the hospital’s already thorough processes for cleaning rooms and killing the pathogens that cause infections. The process of adding the LightStrike system to Adena’s cleaning procedures should not affect patient care in anyway.