Vioguard Releases New C.diff Study for Self-Sanitizing Keyboard

The surface of the keyboard was tested clinically extreme standards, meaning 1.15×10^6 CFU/mL of C.diff spores were spread on the surface of the keyboard, which is a great deal more potent than the average hospital keyboard would typically see.

The lab tested the keyboards using a membrane filtration system. The first step of the process is to produce the C. diff samples that are to be used for the smear. Lab technicians take samples of the bacteria that is in a vegetative state. Then, C. diff spores are created in an anabolic chamber over a 24 to 48-hour period.

Technicians run the Vioguard Defender through its normal 90 second cycle. This is where the membrane filtration system comes in. Swabs are taken around the entirety of the device and tested for their reduction amounts. The overall result from this study was up to a 99% reduction.

Mark Beeston, Director of Sales and Marketing at Vioguard said, “this study is important because C. diff is such a high priority for hospitals to manage and control. It is highly contagious, difficult to resolve and becoming increasingly prevalent.”

How does eliminating the spread of C .diff on a keyboard help stop its spread? It is true, bacteria can spread to essentially any surface of a hospital room via cross-contamination. However, many of those surfaces are changed or wiped down. Bed linens, tools, curtains and even beds are cleansed or replaced on a regular basis. But what about keyboards? They are incredibly difficult to clean and for HIPPA reasons, many times only healthcare workers are allowed to use and clean them, not a cleaning crew. While keyboard cleaning protocols are sometimes followed, hospitals are finding that chemical methods not very effective, especially against C. diff.

“UV-C light is a turning point in disinfection technology,” Beeston said. “It has the ability to fight against resistant bacteria that have become out of control. It is a solution that eliminates infections like C. diff to a point that can’t even be touched by chemical cleaning methods.”

To view the entire C.diff study, click here.