Photo By Marcy Sanchez | L-VIRA, a germ-zapping robot, emits a flash of ultraviolet c (UVC) light for...... read more read more
FORT BLISS, Texas - Advances in technology have always helped progress civilization toward healthier and safer communities. From Edward Jenner’s pioneering of vaccinations via the smallpox vaccine to current technological advances, healthcare continues to step forward in patient care and disease prevention.
William Beaumont Army Medical Center is the first healthcare facility in Southwest Texas to step forward in deterring Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) with the acquisition and implementation of a germ-zapping robot, which produces intense ultraviolet C (UVC) light penetrating the cell walls of microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, mold, fungus and spores.
“We obtained her for the Ebola mission but our goal now is to decrease HAIs,” said Ivonne Caraballo, a nurse with infection preventions at WBAMC. “Once the room is cleaned we go in and disinfect as an added measure for our patients.”
The robot contains special bulbs which emit UVC light destroying cells within a certain radius. The UVC light penetrates the cell walls and destroy it through cell lysis, an irreversible form of cell death, but cannot penetrate through glass, plastic, clothing, or the top layer of skin.
Because of the dark strobe-like actions of the robot it was appropriately named L-VIRA, a moniker of an 80s horror-genre character.
“We program her depending on the type of room we are entering,” said Alex Buda, infection prevention specialist, WBAMC. “There are a lot of people that are sick that go [throughout the hospital] and at night [patient areas] can be disinfected.”
In 2014 WBAMC was identified as a military treatment facility to treat patients with Ebola once selected civilian hospitals had reached full capacity.
“William Beaumont Army Medical Center was identified as a CDC receiving hospital, we’re number 13,” said Lynn McNicols, senior infection prevention specialist at WBAMC. “We had a mandate to create an emergency management plan on how we would manage the patients.”
The need for disinfection beyond human capability encouraged the staff to look for a solution to protect not only other patients but healthcare providers as well.
“Not only does it reduce the [cell] living areas but it can reduce the risk of contamination through [personal protective equipment] by taking it off in front of the robot,” said McNicols.
Since the Ebola outbreak subsided in West Africa in early 2015, the threat to patients and staff has transferred to HAIs.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HAIs in hospitals were estimated at 1.7 million infections and 99,000 deaths each year. HAIs account for more deaths than breast cancer, auto accidents and HIV/AIDS combined. Infections range from pneumonia to bloodstream infections treated at acute care hospitals.
“So far about 30 staff members are trained in use of the robot from Surgical and operating room personnel to Intensive Care Unit personnel,” said Buda, L-VIRA’s lead operator. “I would love to go from empty room to room everywhere in the hospital and just zap everything.”
Although there are numerous precautions put in place throughout the hospital to reduce HAIs, the staff describes L-VIRA as an added touch that augments good housekeeping.
We have lots of things in place to reduce HAIs but it’s an added touch to reduce it because everybody does so many things to reduce HAIs, said McNicols. Thanks to the use of the modern germ-zapping robot, McNicols believes there will be a significant decrease in infections and ailments such as MRSA (staph), C. difficile, influenza, SARS and other HAIs.
“In the end it will save lives and money,” said McNicols.
Minor maintenance on the robot is accomplished by WBAMC’s medical maintenance team while L-VIRA’s built in Wi-Fi capabilities allow wireless transmission of data to manufacturers for monitoring.
William Beaumont Army Medical Center began using the robot in March 2015 and continues its use to provide patients innovative, life-saving care through cutting-edge research and technology establishing WBAMC as the flagship of Army Medicine.
| Date Taken: | 01.07.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.08.2016 10:23 |
| Story ID: | 185792 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 295 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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