Ultra Violet Light Efficacy in the Absence of Cleaning

Background: In recent years, environmental surfaces in hospital rooms have been shown to play an important role in the transmission of pathogens that cause nosocomial infections. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE), Clostridium difficile, and norovirus have all been shown to persist in the environment and pose an increased risk of infection to new patients entering a room that had been previously occupied by infected patients. The purpose of this study was to evaluate an ultraviolet emitting device ability to decontaminate patient rooms that were contaminated with pathogens of importance either naturally or by experimental inoculation.