Objective To observe the killing and bacteriostatic effects of compound Atractylodes lancea oil on natural bacteria in indoor air, and to explore human sensory acceptability of its odor, so as to providing a basis for the application feasibility of compound Atractylodes lancea oil as an air fumigant. Methods The plate sedimentation method and bacterial culture were used to determine the killing and bacteriostatic effects of the compound oil on natural bacteria in indoor air, with conventional ultraviolet disinfection as the control. Meanwhile, the 9-point hedonic scale was adopted to evaluate human acceptability of the odor. Results The compound preparation formulated with plant essential oils such as Atractylodes lancea, mugwort leaf, and wild chrysanthemum achieved a killing rate of 78.4%-79.5% against natural bacteria in indoor air after 60 min of natural volatilization. 6 h after stopping volatilization, the bacteriostatic rate remained at 62.0%-67.0%. For the control group, conventional ultraviolet irradiation for 60 min resulted in a killing rate of 79.3% against natural bacteria in indoor air, and the bacteriostatic rate was maintained at 58.1% 6 h after irradiation cessation. Among different formulations of compound Atractylodes lancea oil used for indoor air treatment, the blend of Atractylodes lancea oil, wild chrysanthemum oil, and rose oil showed the highest odor acceptability among 50 subjects. Conclusion The compound Atractylodes lancea oil exhibits certain killing and bacteriostatic effects on indoor air bacteria, and can be used for indoor air disinfection and odor treatment.
Objective To compare the consistency of UV radiation dose indicator cards and photometers in evaluating the effect of UV sterilization on medical environment objects, and to provide a basis for rapid evaluation of UV disinfection effect in medical environment. Methods Test points on high-frequency contact surfaces within the ward were selected, and UV radiation photometers, a dose indicator card, and three types of bacterial carriers (Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus subtilis var. niger) were placed respectively. The ultraviolet disinfection lamp was activated for 30 min, and UV radiation photometers readings and the color changes of the dose indicator card were recorded. The bacterial carriers for colony count were collected. Results All 60 UV radiation dose indicator cards exhibited color change and passed the qualification test. The cumulative UV radiation dose displayed by the dose indicator cards was consistent with that shown by the photometer, and the main data showed significant positive correlation ( P<0.001 ) with the average logarithmic value of microbial inactivation for the three indicator microorganisms. Conclusion Using the ultraviolet radiation dose indicator card to evaluate the ultraviolet disinfection effect in a medical environment is convenient and reliable.
Objective To investigate the microbial contamination status of ready-to-eat non-fermented soybean products from different retail outlets and in both bulk and pre-packaged forms in Tongzhou District, Beijing, and to analyze the distribution characteristics of disinfectant resistance genes carried by foodborne pathogens, so as to provide scientific evidence for regional food safety risk assessment and optimization of disinfection strategies. Methods From 2020 to 2023, a total of 296 samples of ready-to-eat non-fermented soybean products were collected from the district. Microbial contamination was detected according to the GB 4789—2016 series of standards, and whole-genome sequencing was performed on the isolated pathogenic bacteria. Disinfectant resistance-related genes were analyzed with reference to the CARD database. Results From 2020 to 2023, the overall qualification rate of microbial indicators showed an upward trend, while the detection rate of pathogenic bacteria showed a downward trend (P<0.05). The qualification rates for total bacterial count and coliforms were significantly higher in pre-pack aged samples than in bulk samples (P<0.05), as well as the detection rate of pathogenic bacteria was lower in pre-pack aged samples than in bulk samples (P<0.05). Among different retail outlets, online stores had the highest qualification rates for microbial indicators (total bacterial count qualification rate 82.35%; pathogenic bacteria detection rate 1.18%), while farmers’ markets had the lowest (total bacterial count qualification rate: 24.27%; pathogenic bacteria detection rate: 11.65%). A total of 19 pathogenic strains were isolated, and sequencing analysis revealed the presence of specific disinfectant resistance genes (qacL), multidrug efflux pump gene clusters (acrAB-tolC), and adaptive regulatory genes (marA, ramA). Conclusion The safety risks of ready-to-eat non-fermented soybean products in Tongzhou District are concentrated in farmers’ markets and bulk products. Pathogenic bacteria carry multiple disinfectant resistance genes, highlingting the need for enhanced targeted supervision.
Objective To evaluate the disinfection effect of a bromine-containing disinfectant and its application performance in the disinfection of toothpaste production equipment, and to explore the feasibility of replacing chlorine dioxide effervescent tablets for the disinfection of hygiene care product production equipment. Methods The bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects of bromine-containing disinfectant and chlorine dioxide effervescent tablets were tested by quantitative bacteriostatic and bactericidal tests. The application performance of the two disinfectants was evaluated by residual test, metal corrosion test and on-site disinfection test. Results The growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus spp was effectively inhibited by the disinfectant containing bromine or chlorine dioxide with an effective concentration of 100 mg/L for 5 and 10 min respectively. The killing log value of bromine-containing disinfectant on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter cloacae was more than 6, when acting at the same concentration for 5 min. After disinfection with a bromine-containing disinfectant, the equipment was rinsed twice with purified water, and no residual disinfectant was detected on the production equipment. Soaking at 300 mg/L for 7 d did not cause significant corrosion on the metal materials of the equipment. After disinfecting the two devices with the disinfectant at a concentration of 100 mg/L, the effective disinfection rates were 97.92% and 88.89%, respectively, which were higher than that of chlorine dioxide (68.18% and 82.35%). Conclusion The disinfectant with bromine concentration of ≥100 mg/L has good bacteriostatic and bactericidal effects, and its on-site application performance is better than that of chlorine dioxide effervescent tablets.
Objective To study the application parameters of γ-ray irradiation technology in food microbiological control, for providing reference for related process optimization and food microbiological contamination control. Methods The inactivation of microorganisms by γ-ray irradiation was evaluated in three types of typical food: drinking water (liquid), fresh tofu (semi-solid) and frozen chicken (frozen/solid), combined with three types of common packaging materials: kraft paper carton, metal aluminum can and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic can. Bacterial quantitation detection was used, and Escherichia coli, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, Coxsackievirus B3 and MS2 bacteriophage were used as indicator microorganisms. Results A γ-ray irradiation dose of 5 kGy achieved a bacterial log reduction of >6.0, whereas a dose of 10 kGy resulted in log reductions of >7.0 for bacteriophage MS2 and >5.0 for Coxsackievirus B3, respectively. A γ-ray irradiation dose of 5 kGy achieved a bacterial log reduction of >6.0, whereas a dose of 10 kGy resulted in log reductions of >7.0 for bacteriophage MS2 and >5.0 for Coxsackievirus B3, respectively. The γ-ray irradiation dose required to achieve a bacterial log reduction >6.0 in frozen chicken was 5 kGy, which was higher than that for drinking water (2.5 kGy) and fresh tofu (2.5 kGy). There was no statistically significant difference in the log reduction of microbial contamination by γ-ray on different food packaging materials (P>0.05). Conclusion The γ-ray radiation disinfection method requires a radiation dose of 10 kGy to completely inactivate microorganisms in different states and packaging of food. Different packaging materials have no significant effect on the radiation disinfection effect.
Objective To investigate the current situation of disinfection quality of elderly care institutions in Zhejiang Province and find out the factors affecting the efficacy of disinfection, so as to provide technical guidance for infection prevention and to control of elderly care institutions. Methods According to the disinfection quality monitoring program of key places in Zhejiang Province in 2023, the disinfection quality monitoring was carried out in 132 elderly care institutions. Monitoring items include: indoor air microorganisms, staff hand hygiene, object surfaces, in-use disinfection, ultraviolet lamps radiation intensity, tableware and utensils. Results A total of 1876 samples were tested with an overall qualified rate of 85.71%. The qualified rate of disinfection in enterprise-type elderly care institutions was 91.92%, which was significantly higher than that of public elderly care institutions (83.90%) and private non-enterprise elderly care institutions (82.24%). The lowest qualified rate of disinfection of hand hygiene for staff was 67.30%, followed by that of object surface disinfection of 84.95%, and the qualified rate of other items were above 90%. The qualified rate of hand hygiene disinfection for cleaning staff was significantly lower than that of other staff (48.53% vs 70.94%; P<0.05). The qualified rate of disinfection on the surface of faucets was only 63.27%. Conclusion The disinfection quality of elderly care institutions in Zhejiang Province still needs to be improved, and it is necessary to focus on strengthening the management of hand hygiene among staff and disinfection of environmental object surfaces.
Objective To understand the health and disinfection, the professional personnel equipped and hand hygiene situation of elderly care institutions in Sichuan province, so as to provide a scientific basis for improving the disinfection quality. Method Through on-site questionnaire survey, relative information of 53 elderly care institutions were investigated, and the disinfection management, distribution of disinfection staff, indoor ventilation management and hand hygiene were analyzed. Results Among the investigated elderly care institutions, 13.2% lacked isolation rooms for infectious disease patients, 15.1% had no full-time disinfection professionals, and the implementation rates of disinfection effect evaluation, regular monitoring of disinfectant concentration, and regular monitoring of UV lamp irradiance were low at 26.4%, 26.4%, and 18.9% respectively. Among them, 3.8% of the staff in the institutions washed hands with running water, 9.4% of the elderly in the institutions washed hands with running water, and 3.8% had the phenomenon of shared towels after hand washing. Conclusion There are weaknesses in disinfection work in elderly care institutions in Sichuan Province. It is suggested that supervision and training should be strengthened in the future, and national health standards and regulations related to elderly care institutions should be formulated as soon as possible.
Objective To understand the allocation of disinfection personnel and the status of disinfection quality in elderly care institutions in Zhangjiakou City, aiming to improve the quality of disinfection management in elderly care institutions. Methods On-site investigation was adopted, with four elderly care institutions in the city as the research objects, to investigate the distribution characteristics of disinfection personnel. On-site sampling and bacteriological detection methods were used to monitor the disinfection quality of environmental surfaces and tableware (drinking utensils), as well as the qualified rate of hand hygiene among staff. Results A total of 178 staff were employed in the four elderly care institutions, among whom 60 participated in disinfection work, accounting for 33.71%. Three institutions had nine full-time disinfection personnel, while the remaining one had no full-time disinfection personnel. The educational background of disinfection personnel was mainly senior high school education or below (90.00%), and their work experience was concentrated in 1-3 years (68.33%). A total of 407 samples were collected, with the overall qualified rate of disinfection quality reaching 57.74%. Among the monitored samples, the qualified rate of staff hand hygiene was the lowest (35.00%), while the qualified rates of door handles and handrails, tables and chairs were 62.20% and 59.77%, respectively. Conclusion The number of full-time disinfection personnel in the surveyed elderly care institutions is insufficient, and the overall disinfection quality is relatively low. It is suggested to increase the number of full-time disinfection personnel, carry out regular professional training, and strengthen the supervision of disinfection work, so as to improve the overall hygiene level of elderly care institutions.
Objective To understand the current status of disinfection quality and management in elderly care institutions in Guangzhou, so as to identify the key weak links in disinfection work, and to provide a scientific basis for optimizing disinfection and infection control strategies in these institutions. Methods A total of 27 elderly care institutions (11 public and 16 private) from 3 districts in Guangzhou were selected. On-site questionnaire surveys were conducted to collect basic information related to disinfection management, and bacteriological testing was used to monitor the disinfection effects of environmental surfaces, tableware (drinking utensils), and staff hand hygiene. Results 66.67% of elderly care institutions conducted training sessions fewer than 4 times annually; only 22.22% of institutions performed disinfection efficacy evaluations; 37.04% and 25.93% of institutions failed to conduct disinfectant preparation and ultraviolet lamp irradiance monitoring, respectively. The overall qualified rate of disinfection quality in the 27 elderly care institutions was 83.44%, with the qualified rates of environmental surfaces, tableware, and staff hand hygiene being 90.08%, 80.88%, and 65.20% respectively. The overall qualified rate of disinfection quality in private elderly care institutions (81.23%) was lower than that in public ones (86.19%), and the difference in tableware (drinking utensils), qualification rate was statistically significant (75.16% vs 89.19%; χ2=8.369, P<0.05). In particular, the qualified rate of tableware (drinking utensils), placed in cabinets before use in private institutions was only 55.00%. Conclusion The disinfection quality of elderly care institutions in Guangzhou needs to be improved. Priority should be given to strengthening staff hand hygiene and tableware (drinking utensils), disinfection (including the storage link). Measures such as enhancing personnel training on disinfection, standardizing operational procedures, and improving supervision mechanisms should be taken to improve the infection control capacity of elderly care institutions and to protect the health rights and interests of the elderly.
Objective To understand the quality status of preventive disinfection in elderly care institutions in Jing’an District, Shanghai, and to identify existing issues,so as to improve the quality of disinfection and isolation practices in these institutions. Methods Thirty elderly care institutions in Jing’an District, Shanghai were selected for disinfection quality monitoring during 2017—2021 and 2023—2024. On-site samples were collected from indoor air, environmental surfaces, tableware, and staff hand hygiene in these institutions. Microbial indicators such as total bacterial count and coliform group were tested to comprehensively evaluate disinfection quality status. Results A total of 2 794 samples were collected, with an overall compliance rate of 88.44%. The overall compliance rate for disinfection monitoring from 2017 to 2019 was 85.31%, while the compliance rates in 2020 and 2021 were 92.05% and 94.41%, respectively. The overall compliance rate from 2023 to 2024 was 93.34%. The disinfection compliance rate in public nursing homes was higher than that in private nursing homes (90.28% vs 87.81%; χ2=4.419, P=0.036). Among the various monitoring items, the staff hand hygiene compliance rate was the lowest (77.95%), while the environmental object surface compliance rate was the highest (94.88%). Among different environmental objects, the faucet surface had the lowest pass rate (88.58%). Conclusion The overall disinfection quality of elderly care institutions in this urban area is satisfactory, but it is necessary to strengthen supervision over weak links such as staff hand hygiene and faucet disinfection.
Objective To provide technical guidance for improving the quality of disinfection practices across the railway system by investigating the process management and efficacy of preventive on-site disinfection at passenger railway stations within a designated jurisdiction. Methods Eight passenger stations were selected as study subjects using stratified random sampling. On-site investigation and disinfection efficacy monitoring were conducted to assess preventive disinfection outcomes. Results All stations implemented preventive disinfection in accordance with relevant requirements. However, two stations exhibited issues such as non-standard labeling of disinfectant containers and inadequate personal protective measures. A total of 291 surface samples were collected before and after disinfection, with an overall qualification rate of 90.03%. The disinfection qualification rates for faucets, walls and floors were all below 80.0%, while those for tables/chairs, countertops, ticket-checking equipment, and handrails exceeded 90.0%. The disinfection qualification rate was significantly higher in the group that received technical guidance compared to the non-intervention group (94.59% vs 85.31%; χ2 = 6.980, P<0.05). Conclusion The overall effectiveness of preventive disinfection at passenger railway stations in this jurisdiction is satisfactory. However, it is necessary to focus on strengthening the disinfection of faucets, walls and floors. Providing technical guidance to station disinfection operators can further enhance the outcomes of preventive disinfection.
Objective To investigate the current status of the establishment and risk points of negative pressure isolation wards in selected hospitals nationwide, and to provide a reference basis for improving the hospital infection control and management system. Methods A survey was conducted in hospitals of different levels and types in 7 regions of China, to investigate the number of negative pressure isolation wards established, the setting of buffer rooms, pressure difference monitoring, and high efficiency particulate air filter maintenance, etc. Results 131 of the 340 surveyed hospitals (38.53%) had negative pressure isolation wards. Among the hospitals with negative pressure isolation wards, 114 hospitals had fully equipped buffer rooms, and 9 had partial ones. Among the hospitals with buffer rooms, 104 hospitals (84.55%) conducted differential pressure monitoring between all buffer rooms and wards, 89 hospitals (72.36%) had differential pressure monitoring between all buffer rooms and corridors. Among the 17 hospitals with negative pressure isolation wards without buffer rooms, 11 carried out differential pressure monitoring between all wards and corridors, and the pressure difference values basically met the requirements. Among the 131 hospitals with negative pressure isolation wards, only 76 hospitals (58.02%) met the requirements of buffer rooms establishment, pressure difference monitoring and qualified pressure difference values simultaneously; 66 (50.38%) performed air disinfection with ultraviolet lamps in the negative pressure isolation wards. Conclusion Obvious deficiencies exist in the buffer room configuration, standardization of pressure difference monitoring, and maintenance management of negative pressure isolation wards in some hospitals in China, and the overall compliance rate needs to be improved.
Objective To understand the disinfection methods and current status of wastewater treatment in medical institutions in Nanjing City, so as to providing references for improving wastewater disinfection and enhancing the quality of wastewater disinfection in medical institutions. Methods On-site surveys and laboratory tests were used to investigate and analyze the disinfection effectiveness of wastewater in medical institutions in Nanjing. Results A total of 185 medical institutions were surveyed, including 43 tertiary institutions, 30 secondary institutions, and 112 primary or lower-level institutions. Sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, and potassium monopersulfate were used for wastewater disinfection in 128 (69.19%), 36 (19.46%), and 18 (9.73%) institutions, respectively. Additionally, 12（6.49%）institutions lacked reserved sampling ports for wastewater discharge. A total of 185 wastewater samples were collected, with a qualification rate of 88.11%. The qualification rate of wastewater from general hospitals was higher than that from specialized hospitals (90.79% vs 75.76%; χ2=4.501, P=0.034). Different disinfection methods also had a statistically significant impact on wastewater qualification rates (χ2=10.533, P=0.005). The qualified rates of sodium hypochlorite and potassium monopersulfate disinfection were relatively high, at 91.41% and 94.44%, respectively. Conclusion The wastewater disinfection systems in Nanjing’s medical institutions are operating normally, and the qualification rate of hospital wastewater is relatively high. However, strengthening supervision, providing continuous professional technical training for disinfection personnel, and establishing a wastewater disinfection ledger are essential, which can further enhance the quality of hospital wastewater disinfection.
