Tactics for managing C. diff infections (CDIs) with Clinell Peracetic Acid Wipes

In this blog post, we’ll uncover why Clostridioides difficile poses a challenge and how to best prevent the transmission of spores with commode decontamination. Working in healthcare, “C. diff” is always a pathogen of concern. Rightly so, as it has been associated with costly outbreaks in healthcare settings, especially since the emergence of hypervirulent strains since…

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EN 17126, why Clinell Peracetic Acid Wipes and other biocides are classed as sporicidal

Today on the blog, we discuss endospores in healthcare, sporicidal EN testing and how effective Clinell Peracetic Acid Wipes really are. Endospores in healthcare Bacteria utilise a wide variety of defence mechanisms when facing extreme environmental conditions. Certain Gram-positive bacteria produce intracellular spores called endospores, which prove a complex challenge for healthcare settings and infection prevention in general. These…

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Peracetic Acid Wipes: A new name for Clinell’s red wipes

Clinell’s famous red wipes have a new name: Clinell Peracetic Acid Wipes (previously ‘Sporicidal Wipes’). To match, they have a bank of evidence which supports their use for the prevention of outbreaks caused by high risk and hard-to-kill microorganisms. 2008 was a special year for GAMA Healthcare. Not only were we awarded our first NHS…

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Improving hospital cleaning and disinfection

This post shares the findings of a recent study exploring improving hospital cleaning and disinfection through streamlining product and enhanced training. A team working in Lanarkshire, the third largest health board in Scotland, has recently published a study evaluating the impact of an intervention to improve hospital cleaning and disinfection through the implementation of pre-impregnated wipes combined…

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Neutralising duff “sporicidal” claims of amine-based disinfectants

There is a lot of value to a disinfectant manufacturer of having a sporicidal claim so that the product can be used in healthcare settings to tackle C. difficile spores. However, not all products with a sporicidal claim are in fact sporicidal! Amine-based disinfectants with “sporicidal” claims are being seen increasingly in the marketplace, but these products are unlikely…

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Time to disinfect the loo before flushing?

A fascinating new study in AJIC suggests that adding a disinfectant to the toilet bowl before flushing results in a significant reduction in viral contamination of a bathroom. Does this mean we should disinfect the loo before flushing it? The study used MS2 coliphage as a proxy marker of pathogenic virus contamination. The degree of…

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Is your wipe really sporicidal?

Sporicidal disinfectant wipes are being used increasingly for tackling surfaces contaminated with C. difficile spores in hospitals. A wide range of ‘sporicidal’ wipes are coming onto the market. However, concerning published data shows that some wipes marketed as being ‘sporicidal’ do not have meaningful activity against spores when tested under controlled laboratory conditions. This blog outlines three key questions…

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Infection Prevention 2016: a bug’s eye view

Another IPS conference has been and gone, and what a lot of fun and learning to be had! New research published, new products launched, and new contacts made – all in a few days in sunny Harrogate. Several of the lectures were outstanding: Prof Gary French on the ‘swing’ away from antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive bacteria towards…

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Transmission of C. difficile: Asymptomatic carriers are also a risk

A new paper from Canada that has examined the effect of screening and isolation for asymptomatic carriers of toxigenic C. difficile has just been released onto the JAMA Internal Medicine website. In this study, 4.8% of patients screened were found to be carrying the tbD gene and these patients were part of an intervention group that included isolation, but not in…

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