Terminal Cleaning describes a cleaning method used in healthcare environments to control the spread of infections.

Justification

Nosocomial infections claim approximately 90,000 lives in the United States annually. When patients are hospitalized and identified as having methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. It is also called multidrug-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and oxacillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus...

or infections that can be spread to other patients, best practices isolate these patients in rooms that are subjected to terminal cleaning when the patient is discharged.

Procedure

Terminal cleaning methods vary, but usually include removing all detachable objects in the room, cleaning lighting and air duct surfaces in the ceiling, and cleaning everything downward to the floor. Items removed from the room are disinfected or sanitized before being returned to the room.

External links

• Overview of when, what and how long to conduct terminal cleaning per North Carolina guidelines http://www.unc.edu/depts/spice/guide2.html
• U.S. Military Aseptic Practices http://www.brooksidepress.org/Products/OperationalMedicine/DATA/operationalmed/Manuals/HM32/Chapter05/Chapter05.htm#ch05s
• Sanisys LLC producer of NAV-CO2 accessories