Jefferson University Hospital – Center City

How important is cleanliness in a University Hospital?

The virus that causes COVID-19 is transmitted mainly by spreading from person to person (contact less than five feet away or through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes) or through direct contact contaminated surfaces or objects.

Current evidence indicates that the new Coronavirus can remain viable for hours and even days on certain surfaces, depending on the type of material. Therefore, cleaning objects and surfaces, followed by disinfection, are recommended measures for the prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory diseases in community settings.

Having a good cleaning in the hospital environment is essential to ensure the health of the internal, external, and mixed public. This is because it is the best measure to prevent serious infections.

Viruses and bacteria stay in the environment, so proper cleaning and disinfection are the only ways to prevent cross-infection. Only then will the place become healthy and guarantee the quality of the work of the medical team, in addition to promoting the well-being of patients and their families.

Maintains an environment free of bacteria and infections

As we mentioned at the beginning of this text, it is essential to maintain good hygiene in the area to have an environment free of bacteria and other infections. They harm the health of patients, their families, work teams, and suppliers.

Therefore, each environment and material needs to be cleaned according to its specific needs. After all, each type of surface needs a different amount of product and materials to complete a complete and effective cleaning.

In addition, sweeping and dusting are prohibited because when we perform this procedure, dust spreads in the air, and the place is not well cleaned.

It is worth remembering that it is the hospital’s full responsibility to provide a clean and organized environment that promotes an improvement in the quality of life for its patients.

For this, complete hygiene needs to be divided into three main steps. Let’s check what they are?

Cleaning

In this step, all residues and dirt are removed from the environment. Each surface requires a different procedure, and the use of technology (such as steam cleaning equipment) guarantees total sterilization and disinfection.

Disinfection

The second step is disinfection. In this stage, infectious agents that are in a vegetative state, and that can cause problems in the health of patients, are destroyed. For this, disinfectants, sodium hypochlorite, phenolic compounds, iodine, and other chemicals are used to help make the environment clean and disinfected.

Sterilization

The last step is sterilization. In this stage, chemical and physical agents are used to destroy microorganisms. We can also count on the support of technology and use saturated steam equipment under pressure.

Promotes the correct disposal of waste

The proper disposal of garbage promoting cleanliness in the hospital environment because it prevents improper reuse and the spread of contamination by bacteria and viruses – waste or medical waste is material discarded after all patient care.

These materials present a great risk to people’s health (for example, biological materials contaminated with blood), so it is essential to promote their correct disposal.

Thus, the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) standardizes the rules on the proper disposal of these materials. They must be followed by hospitals and clinics, doctors’ offices, laboratories, and other health establishments. See what the types of hospital waste ar

• group A (potentially infectious);
• group B (chemicals);
• group C (radioactive waste);
• group D (common waste);
• Group E (sharps).

Contributes to a clean and organized environment

By investing in the correct cleaning of the hospital environment, you contribute to the patient’s well-being and even improve the workplace for doctors and the entire hospital team.

Considering that the hospital is responsible for promoting the guarantee of the quality of life for patients, it is essential that the institution follows all the correct procedures regarding the cleaning and disposal of materials. In addition, it is essential to keep work instruments well stored and create a hygiene routine – with qualified professionals for this function.

All hospital employees, no matter how much they know about it, need refresher training to reinforce the importance of maintaining and promoting hygiene habits. One measure to strengthen this learning is to insert informational posters

There are many challenges in hospital cleaning. For this reason, hospitals need to rely on the support of a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), as this document provides guidance on the step-by-step process for carrying out each activity.

Ensures the safety of patients and internal staff

Often, only the water does not clean properly and sufficiently: to remove dirt- it is necessary to add some substances (soap, detergent, and other products) to thoroughly clean the place.

In environments such as walls, windows, ceilings, and windows, there is not much risk of transmission and infection, so cleaning does not have to be daily. However, places such as floors, furniture, and equipment need daily and heavy cleaning.

The objective is to maintain order and provide everyone with more cleaning in the environment, favoring the work of the medical team. Have you ever imagined a patient getting better from a serious illness, catching a virus, and his health condition getting worse? This happens a lot in environments that are not well cleaned.

It is worth mentioning that the cleaning team needs to correctly use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE ) to avoid direct contact with viruses and bacteria. In addition, it is essential that employees have their vaccination card up to date, in addition to having good health and maintaining constant examinations – which are determined by law). Thus, safety at work is guaranteed, and employees can carry out their activities without risk.

Cleaning in the hospital environment is essential to prevent the proliferation of viruses and bacteria (which can aggravate the condition of patients), and end up harming everyone in contact with the place, including family members and visitors. For this reason, it requires specific care, which can be performed by specialized companies, to maintain the standard with excellence.

In this post, you learned about the importance of cleanliness in the hospital environment. Do you want to find the best solution to promote good hygiene in your office, hospital, clinic, or other health institution? So, contact us!