How Outpatient Surgery and Emergency Care Centers Use Ultraviolet Lamps to Stop the Spread of Infection

          According to the American Urgent Care Association, the average waiting time for UCCs is only 30 minutes, while the average waiting time for hospital emergency rooms is 4 hours.

          In addition to faster treatment, UCCs also provides patients with lower costs. The average cost of an emergency care center is $150, while the average cost of an emergency room is $1,354-the copay is similar to that of a primary care visit.

          Unlike traditional medical centers and hospitals, UCCs and OSCs often lack resources and infrastructure to control infections. Usually, these walk-in clinics are located in places that are not specifically designed to control infectious diseases, including strip clubs and retail stores. These sites challenge infection control experts and construction engineers responsible for protecting patients and employees.

          With more than 9,000 UCCs and OSCs in the United States, it is vital to ensure that they maintain proper infection control measures to protect the health and well-being of millions of people.

UV-C in UCCs

          A reliable solution to reduce pathogens in UCCs and OSCsand maintain indoor environmental quality is ultraviolet germicidal radiation (UVGI), which uses light in the UV-C spectrum to eliminate almost all microorganisms in the upper air and HVAC cooling coils.

          The use of UV-C lamps to control infectious agents in healthcare is nothing new. It has been used for more than 70 years and in many cases has measurable and very sUCCsessful results. In fact, the Health Care Infection Control Practice Advisory Committee of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that ultraviolet energy can help control the spread of diseases: "As a supplementary air cleaning measure, UVGI effectively reduces airborne bacteria and bacteria in hospitals. The spread of viral infections, military housing and education"

          A 2013 CDC-funded study conducted in two hospitals found that UV-C 91% reduced the total number of colony forming units of any pathogen in the room. A study conducted in the atmospheric environment in 2003 and the 2014 American Journal of Infection Control study cited in Infection Control Today in 2014 demonstrated similar results in the efficacy of UV-C in inactivating pathogens.

          The situation in traditional hospitals may be correct in OSC sand UCCs. In other words, facility managers and building owners in these locations can provide the same institutional infection control strategy to reduce infection-causing microorganisms.

Upper Air/Room

          The main purpose of the UV-C on the upper layer is to interrupt the spread of airborne infectious diseases in patient wards, waiting rooms and other known microbial passages (such as halls, stairwells and corridors), which can be passed through effectively and affordable Way to treat UV-C. They operate 24 hours a day without interruption and are particularly effective in reducing airborne infectious microorganisms and minimizing the viability of surface microorganisms that may have settled in the outdoor air.

Air Conditioning System

           The air treatment system is not designed to prevent the spread of disease. However, these HVAC systems circulate microorganisms from one space to another and are ideal breeding grounds for molds and bacteria. UV-C can be easily applied to air-conditioning equipment and ducts to kill airborne and surface pathogens.