Healthcare

A recent study in New York has shown that C. difficile spore cultures are found facilitywide, as 33% of non-CDI rooms were tested positive for C. difficile¹. To address this facilitywide problem, hospitals may need to take a more facilitywide approach to surface disinfection.

Clorox Healthcare^® Bleach Germicidal disinfectants are trusted, EPA-registered solutions for your facilitywide needs. They are proven to kill C. difficile spores and come in multiple forms (wipes, sprays, pull-tops, and refills).

¹ B. Koll, American Journal of Infection Control, June 2009

Dispatch® Hospital Cleaners now have a new look under the Clorox Healthcare® brand name. They are the same great products in new packaging – No product formula changes.

At a target level above the CDC-recommended 5000ppm, Clorox Healthcare^® Bleach Germicidal Wipes and Dispatch^® products kill the pathogens of most concern in healthcare settings. Our high concentration and proprietary processes maximize shelf life for a trusted, pure and effective product.

Clorox Healthcare^™ Bleach Germicidal Wipes and DISPATCH^® products are all bleach-based disinfectants that are rapidly effective against the most common healthcare bacteria in as little as 30 seconds, fungi in as little as 1 minute and viruses in as little as 1 minute.

The active species in bleach is the strong oxidizing agent hypochlorous acid (HOCl). Results of a 2008 study suggest, “The antimicrobial effects of bleach are largely based on HOCl’s ability to cause aggregation of essential bacterial proteins.” The study also shows that HOCl reacts with bacteria more aggressively than other oxidants.

These bleach-based disinfectants are ready-to-use, one-step cleaner disinfectants. Your staff can confidently disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces with no dilution or mixing required. Forms include a pull-top, spray and wipes — so end users can harness the power of bleach in their preferred form. Clorox^® bleach-based products are at or above 5000 ppm that meets CDC guidelines for hard surface disinfection.

Clorox^® formulates these bleach-based disinfectants with specialized corrosion inhibitors to allow for broad usage on the most common healthcare surfaces without the adverse effects caused by non-inhibited bleach-based products. These bleach-based disinfectants are safe to use on many common hard, nonporous plastics and metals on common healthcare surfaces, including bed railings, tables, countertops trash cans and more.

These bleach-based disinfectants contain odor-masking agents and fragrances to help ensure end user and patient comfort and satisfaction. In fact, multiple leading hospital studies noted that when patient and Environmental Services' personnel were exposed to bleach, little or no concern about the odor of bleach was expressed.

• A Mayo Clinic (Rochester) study (abstract presented at APIC 2010) indicated only 8.8% of patients noticed the smell of bleach when it was used in their room; of this number, none found the odor bothersome.
• At Barnes-Jewish Hospital (St. Louis), an 18-month study was conducted demonstrating 1:10 bleach's efficacy against C. difficile spores. The authors noted that "During the study, patients, family and staff did not complain about the odor of bleach."
• At Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Centers, during a five-and-a-half month study involving routine use of 1:10 bleach with documented decreases in C. difficile incidence, authors reported that "EVS reported no surface damage or complaints due to use of bleach."

When bleach is used as directed, the chlorine species emitted are lower than recognized levels that cause respiratory irritation and below the EPA's occupation exposure limits for chlorine. In fact, when bleach disinfectants are used as directed, the perceivable sensory irritation occurs at 1.0 ppm in the air, which is 500 times the odor threshold during regular use.

Since 1913, bleach has been, and continues to be, one of the most widely used disinfectant products as a result of its proven efficacy against hospital microorganisms of concern. During normal use, Clorox^® bleach formulas break down primarily into common salt and water. When used as directed, they do not contaminate water sources.