The PerfectCLEAN Post

There’s been some important news of late that makes an indisputably strong case for including the use of color-coded products to process a healthcare facility.

In ContagionLive – Infectious Diseases Today, Amanda and Shawn Binkley note in their article that “the best approach to combat Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a collaborative one that combines an antimicrobial stewardship program and infection control practices.”

And on the InfectionControl.tips website, Dr. Rodney E. Rohde of Texas State University connects the dots on how C. diff is spread: “C. difficile is transmitted from person to person by the fecal-oral route, which makes the patient bathroom in a healthcare facility a prime target for thorough processing by a Hygiene Specialist trained in color-coding protocols.”

Dr. Rohde elaborates on these protocols, properly implemented:

• ‍Reusable products (cloths, flat mops, etc.) are provided in different colors, with each color representing a specific use for an exclusive area of the hospital – patient bathrooms, ICU, operating rooms, etc.
• The products are used only for the area specified and never cross the threshold into a second room.
• Used products are laundered according to CDC guidelines for Blood Borne Pathogens before being put back into service.

Color-coding is a simple solution to a costly challenge. The spread of antibiotic-resistant superbugs affects not only the lives of patients, but also a facility’s reputation and its financial health. A report published in the American Journal of Infection Control, notes that C. diff increases hospital costs by 40 percent per case and puts those infected at high risk for longer hospital stays and readmissions.

Give color-coding a try!