Why Cleanliness Is Important In Hospitals And Clinics

It is commonly accepted that when it comes to our workplace or our homes, we want them to be as clean as possible. However, when it comes to places such as hospitals or clinics, they not only have to be clean but squeaky clean at that. This is why your medical office cleaning staff need to be on their game, and not only get the job done but get it done right.

No matter for what reason, or for how long their stay requires, patients are a critically vulnerable population. The staff that works with the patients, and attends to them, are also somewhat susceptible and, as such, need to be kept safe and healthy.

But the question is—in what way does the cleanliness affect a healthcare-related facility? Quite simply through those infections that are primarily healthcare-related. A broad term used to refer to these various types of infections is that of healthcare-associated infections (HCAI’s). And when it comes to keeping these diseases at bay, the best method is to make sure that your facility is as clean as possible.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

MRSA is an infection that is caused by a strain of staph bacteria that has become resistant to any of the primary antibiotics used to combat and treat the more common staph infections.

Most of the cases of MRSA seen today are in those individuals who recently experience a hospital stay, or a stay in another type of health care setting—including nursing homes and even dialysis centers. MRSA is also commonly associated when experiencing an invasive procedure such as surgery.

With most healthy individuals, MRSA presents with a mild skin irritation. However, in those individuals with a compromised immune system, the results could include infections in the bloodstream and the lungs.

C.difficile (C.diff)

Presenting with the symptoms of diarrhea and colon inflammation, C.diff is responsible for an estimated half a million cases of illnesses in the US each year, as reported by the Centers of Disease Control (CDC). Of those half a million cases, 3 out of 5 are contracted in the context of healthcare-related.

Although C.diff is quite uncomfortable, there is the undeniable fact that it can, in those individuals that are most vulnerable, resulting in death. In the majority of cases, the infection is inconvenient and a hassle, but it can be highly mitigated by properly cleaning your facilities.

Healthcare Providers

Although the above mentioned HCAI’s are well known the be cleanliness related, as well as preventable issues, other factors are directly related to the cleanliness of your facility. One such factor is that of the health care providers themselves spreading the illness.

In a recent survey, 4 out of 10 healthcare workers admitted that they would come into work, even though they are sick. As a result, their patients are subsequently five times more likely to contract an HCAI through their exposure to the sick healthcare provider.

Although it is pretty much impossible to get the stats down to 0% in healthcare providers transmitting infections to their patients, the best chance is in that of keeping your facilities as clean as possible, this way lowering the odds of transmissions of illnesses.

 As you can see, facility managers need to remain ever vigilant when it comes to the fighting and warding off of any possible transmission of infections. With the proper medical office cleaning practices in place, the odds will be in your favor for an infection-free environment.