Why use chlorine dioxide in your facility instead of other disinfectants

Healthcare facilities are searching for ways to effectively treat and prevent outbreaks in their facilities and the IDSA, SHEA, AHA, APIC, and the Joint Commission have provided new guidelines aimed at reducing the prevalence of multi-drug resistant organisms (MDROs) with patient safety and reducing costs at the forefront of the new Medicare initiatives. Many facilities are still not sure which chemicals to use when and how. The guidelines, published in the July 2014 issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology states the need to:

“Ensure proper cleaning and disinfection of equipment and environment: Because contamination can be widespread among the patient’s environment, optimal cleaning and disinfection procedures should be employed”. 

But how does a facility know what is going to be best for their patients and staff and still complete the proper cleaning needed to combat MDROs? Below is a comparative list of some of the disinfectants used in medical facilities.