Hospital Disinfectant Solution
Learn Why Our Unique Disinfectant Solution Is Perfect for Hospitals
WHAT IS A DISINFECTING SOLUTION?
While there are many different cleaning solutions available to the healthcare space, they all come with varying degrees of toxicity, effectiveness, and environmental safety. Understanding the differences between these definitions as set forth by the US Environmental Protection Agency is critical for assessing products and the health risks that they combat.
A cleaner targets large particles, most commonly dirt and organic matter. These products leave surfaces visibly clean and free of debris, but they do not remove microscopic organisms, which include viruses, bacteria, and other illness-causing pathogens.
A sanitizer does kill bacteria, but does not affect viruses. Sanitizers must be registered with the EPA and certified to accomplish the claims on their product labels.
A disinfectant is the most powerful of the three categories and is also registered with the EPA. Disinfecting solutions kill both bacteria and viruses. PCT’s HydrolyteⓇ hospital disinfecting solution is an EPA registered disinfectant and carries a product label clearly defining the pathogens that it is known to kill with up to 99.9999% efficacy.
HYDROLYTEⓇ DISINFECTING SOLUTION
At the hospital facilities, PCT produces OSG 460D through the process of water electrolysis. This process delivers an electric charge to salt water, separating the components of the salt (sodium chloride) and water and rearranging them to create catholyte and anolyte solutions. The anolyte solution forms the basis for HydrolyteⓇ, a powerful disinfectant that attacks a range of different pathogens–including antibiotic resistant strains that hospitals find extremely difficult to eradicate using other forms of disinfectant.
HOCl for Hospital Disinfection
The primary active component of anolyte spray (HydrolyteⓇ) is hypochlorous acid, commonly abbreviated as HOCl. This acid in the form of anolyte solution is non-hazardous to humans and animals, but is very effective against the viruses and bacteria that cause illness. HOCl occurs naturally within the human body, as a critical means of defense against invading pathogens. As part of the immune system, white blood cells respond to the presence of a virus by creating HOCl, which attacks the hostile cells, breaking down cell walls and DNA to kill them. HOCl contained in HydrolyteⓇ performs the same function in a hospital disinfection setting, killing pathogen cells on hard, nonporous surfaces just as it does within the body.
Efficient Hospital Disinfecting Solutions
In addition to the anolyte solution itself, PCT offers equipment to maximize the effectiveness of its disinfectant products in the hospital environment. The cart sprayer is designed to relieve hospital staff of the time-consuming, inefficient process of manually disinfecting spaces. Fitted with a timer, adjustable spray head, droplet size controls, rotating base, and other settings, the sprayer cart disinfects a room in minutes. As the disinfectant solution is sprayed, it is electrostatically charged in order to achieve a uniform blanket of coverage throughout all hard surfaces in the room–not only the most commonly used surfaces, but also the undersides of tables, desks, and other areas where pathogens can go unnoticed by human workers.
HYPOCHLOROUS ACID DISINFECTING SOLUTION
HydrolyteⓇ is an anolyte solution produced through the process of water electrolysis. This resulting solution contains hypochlorous acid, which is an incredibly valuable compound in hospital disinfection. Hypochlorous acid is a compound that occurs in nature, specifically within the human body as one of the immune system’s key defenses against infection. Harnessing the power of hypochlorous acid in the form of HydrolyteⓇ gives hospitals an extremely convenient and effective way to fight the spread of infection in patient areas.
The functionality of hypochlorous acid is complex and is completely different from many other products commonly used, such as chemical disinfectants or a sodium hypochlorite solution, for disinfection in hospitals. The key advantage of HydrolyteⓇ is the ability of the neutrally charged hypochlorous acid to pass easily through the cell walls of even antibiotic resistant bacteria and viruses. Once inside, the free available chlorine quickly destroys the microorganisms.
HydrolyteⓇ Versus Antibiotics
The unique mechanism of HydrolyteⓇ to kill pathogens sets it apart from other products used for cleaning and disinfection in hospitals. Large healthcare facilities around the country spend enormous amounts of time, money, and effort using antibiotic based disinfecting solutions to combat pathogens, but the rise of antibiotic resistant strains have made those solutions less and less effective over time. The quick-working physical mechanism of hypochlorous acid to invade cell walls and kill cells from the inside is a far better strategy for fighting these “super bugs” in medical care settings.
HydrolyteⓇ Versus Chemical Solutions
The balance between effectiveness and toxicity–that is, health hazards to human patients–is one that hospitals and other healthcare facilities have always had a very difficult time navigating. Using sodium hypochlorite for hospital disinfection, for instance, requires strict protocols for keeping patients safe while killing as many pathogens as possible. HydrolyteⓇ, in contrast, boasts a very low toxicity, which opens up much greater opportunities for use in areas where patients are present.
HydrolyteⓇ Application Process
HydrolyteⓇ is an EPA registered disinfectant listed for use on hard, nonporous surfaces. It is very effective against salmonella, E. coli, MRSA, C. diff, and other high profile pathogens that are commonly found in medical treatment settings, with application time of 10 minutes. As a spray application, it is easy for environmental services staff to cover all hard surfaces in a room with HydrolyteⓇ following a thorough cleaning, for a very high degree of disinfection and a quick turnaround time for exam rooms, patient rooms, and operating rooms.
The spray cart designed by PCT is an ideal application method for HydrolyteⓇ, further streamlining the disinfection procedure and freeing up staff for other tasks. The cart can be left in a room, calibrated, and set with a timer to spray a mist that reaches all corners of the space with HydrolyteⓇ hospital disinfectant solution. This includes the areas that most often escape manual application of disinfectant, such as the undersides of chairs, desks, and other furniture, and in turn become some of the most troublesome spots for the propagation of infection causing bacteria.
ON-SITE GENERATION OF HOSPITAL DISINFECTANT SOLUTION
PCT also offers a hospital disinfectant solution with on-site generation capability with its Annihilyzer® unit. The Annihilyzer® is a self-contained machine that produces both disinfectant and general cleaning solutions for use in hospitals. These solutions can also be used in tandem with the cart sprayer, further streamlining the process of eradicating pathogens from spaces and making them safe for patients and their caregivers.
Hospitals that use the Annihilyzer® to produce disinfectant on site enjoy a number of advantages related to the ordering, delivery, and packaging of product. The threat of supply chain interruption is a constant one, and by using on-site generation, hospitals insulate themselves from the potential of not being able to obtain product in the event of shipping delays. Another major factor for hospitals is the need to minimize waste. Waste reduction mandates are present in many states and are being enacted in others, and it is advantageous for hospitals to be ahead of them by generating disinfectant on site and employing reusable containers, rather than ordering in bulk and disposing of empty plastic containers.
Hospital Disinfection Challenges
As the most important location in our society for diagnosing and treating illnesses, a hospital is expected to be a safe, healthy, and curative environment for the patients that pass through its doors. Maintaining that type of environment is very difficult for hospitals, however, as they face a wide variety of health challenges simply based on the fact that diseases, infections, bacteria, and viruses are present in the patients they are treating. While there are many cleaning and disinfection solutions available for hospitals to choose from, it is extremely difficult to find a product that is broadly effective against many different pathogens yet safe enough to use in spaces where patients are housed and treated.
Paradigm Convergence Technologies (PCT), a company based in South Carolina and operating facilities in both South Carolina and Indiana, is excited to offer a hospital disinfectant solution that both meets sanitizing expectations and maintains an environment for humans that is not hazardous. Read on to discover how PCT’s disinfection solutions are changing the game for hospitals and other healthcare facilities.
PCT’s Hospital Disinfection Offerings
PCT is proud to be at the leading edge of today’s advances in hospital disinfection. Keeping patients healthy while they are cared for in the hospital setting is incredibly important, and PCT continues to make it easier for healthcare workers to provide a safe, pathogen-free environment every day.
