Effect of pulsed xenon ultraviolet disinfection on methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus contamination of high-touch surfaces in a Japanese hospital

Background The hospital environment is an important source of multidrug-resistant organisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Here, we evaluated the efficacy of pulsed xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection in addition to manual cleaning in a Japanese hospital. Methods Environmental samples were collected from inpatient rooms that had been occupied for at least 48 hours by patients infected or colonized with MRSA. High-touch surfaces from 11 rooms were sampled before and after manual cleaning and then after PX-UV disinfection. Changes in bacterial counts and in the number of aerobic bacteria (AB)- and MRSA-positive samples between sampling points were assessed. The time taken to complete PX-UV treatment of patient rooms was also recorded. Results A total of 306 samples were collected. PX-UV disinfection resulted in a significant decrease in abundance of AB and MRSA (mean colony-forming units 14.4 ± 38.7 to 1.7 ± 6.1, P Conclusions The addition of PX-UV disinfection to the manual cleaning process significantly reduced AB and MRSA contamination of high-touch surfaces in hospital inpatient rooms.