CloroxPro Blog – Professional Cleaning and Disinfection Insights

Long-term care homes may blend “care” and “healthcare” in a variety of mixes for residents, but above all, to the senior living in long-term care, this is their home – a place where they trust they will be safe. 

In recent years, there is heightened awareness of the serious impact that outbreaks of communicable infections can have on our senior citizens living in long-term care. Because residents are effectively living in a closed environment, the safety of that environment can have significant impact on their health – from the more vulnerable residents to those in good health, along with staff members and visitors. Protecting the long-term care environment is a multi-dimensional challenge. Cleaning and disinfection protocols describe key strategies to reduce the risk of transmission of communicable infections. Strategies applied throughout the long-term care environment can help prevent a wide array of illnesses caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi.

Spotlight on C. auris and CPE

Two common pathogens that can present serious health challenges in long-term care facilities are Candida auris (C. auris) and carbapenemase-producing enterobacteriaceae (CPE). Both are multi-drug resistant, which adds to the urgency of protecting vulnerable residents against outbreaks.

C. auris

C. auris is a multi-drug resistant yeast that can cause serious, life-threatening infection anywhere in the body, including the bloodstream. C. auris is found on the skin and in body fluids and spreads easily via contact with affected individuals and contaminated surfaces or equipment.

Transmitted by:

Contact with contaminated hands, or with soiled (contaminated, used) equipment and surfaces. C. auris is able to remain viable for a prolonged period of time on surfaces in long-term care facilities, including environmental objects and medical equipment. It is able to withstand many common healthcare disinfectants.

Controlled by: Public Health Agency of Canada recommends environmental cleaning and disinfection of a room of a patient with C. auris using Health Canada-approved healthcare disinfectants with claims of efficacy against C. auris. As with any agent used in healthcare facilities, a drug identification numbers (DIN) is required.

CPE

Enterobacteriaceae are a class of bacteria, many of which live naturally in our gut. CPE is the collective name for a family of microorganisms that have high levels of resistance to antibiotics. CPE can cause difficult-to-treat infections in any part of the body, from respiratory to bloodstream infections to intra-abdominal and urinary tract  infections.

Transmitted by:

Contact transmission can be direct (person-to-person) or indirect (via contaminated surfaces). Healthcare facility sink drains in particular can be CPE reservoirs. In healthcare facilities, contacts at highest risk for CPE are those with increased duration of exposure – the very definition of long-term care.

Controlled by:

Careful application of routine cleaning practices with CPE-effective agents should be sufficient to remove this pathogen.

Pro Tips for Protection of Long-Term Care Homes (from Public Health Ontario)

Cleaning and disinfecting products:

• Must be approved by environmental services, the ICP, and OHS.
• Disinfectants must have a drug identification number (DIN) from Health Canada.
• Should be compatible with surfaces, finishes, furnishings, items and equipment to be cleaned and disinfected.
• Must be used according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Disinfectants chosen for use in Long-Term Care Homes:

• Must be active against the microorganisms encountered in the LTCH.
• Should require little or no mixing or diluting, i.e., be dispensed through an appropriate effective proportioner.
• Should be active at room temperature with a short contact time.
• Should have low irritancy and allergenic characteristics.
• Should be safe for the environment.

For Long-term Care Cleandoms: Efficient, Effective Protection with Ready-to-use Wipes

A number of Clorox disinfectants have Health Canada approved claims against some common CPE as well as C. auris. Benefits of ready-to-use wipes vs. dilution control systems (DCS) include:

• Ready-to-use wipes bring the sanitizing/disinfecting agent, water, container and wipe together in a controlled environment, greatly reducing risk of contamination
• Ready-to-use single use wipes ensure consistent disinfectant concentration and quality control
• Easy-to-use, single step, single use wipes save time.

Clorox Healthcare® Hydrogen Peroxide Cleaner Disinfectant Wipes (DIN: 02406225)

• Alcohol-free, bleach-free and non-corrosive.
• Kills 50 bacteria and viruses in 1 minute or less, including 13 antibiotic-resistant ones.
• Kills C. auris in 3 minutes andM. tuberculosis in 1 minute.
• Less residue, easy on surfaces, multi-surface cleaner disinfectant ideal for daily use in high turn-over areas on hard surfaces.
• Available in clinical canister and EVS bucket wipe size formats.

Clorox® VersaSure Disinfecting Wipes (DIN 02473151)

• Ready-to-use cleaning and disinfection of 99.9% of germs in one easy step.
• Kill viruses and bacteria including cold and flu germs, MRSA, staph, E. coli, strep, salmonella and the organism that can cause whooping cough.
• Also tough on common allergens, grease, grime and soap scum.
• Ideal for use in high-traffic areas like dining rooms and activity rooms, in personal areas like resident rooms and bathrooms, along with hot spots like doorknobs, phones and visitor areas.

Clorox Healthcare® Bleach Germicidal Disinfectant Wipes (DIN: 02465671)

• Health Canada registered to kill 66 pathogens.
• Kills viruses in 1 minute and bacteria in 30 seconds.
• C. difficile sporicidal efficacy tested in the presence of 3-part organic soil load.
• Available in clinical canister and EVS bucket wipe size formats.

Include CloroxPro® in your Long-Term Care Cleandom plan!

Learn more about the benefits of CloroxHealthcare® ready-to-use disinfecting wipes here

Interested in speaking to a representative about customized solutions and training? Contact us today.