Only on ABC-7: Hospital makes move to decrease risk of hospital-acquired infections

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 75,000 Americans died from infections they acquired in a hospital.

The statistics, as well as the desire to avoid an outbreak of health care-associated infections, motivated El Paso’s University Medical Center to begin using new technology to sterilize its operating rooms.

The county hospital recently acquired the Germ-Zapping Robot from medical supply company Xenex. According to the company’s website, Xenex’s mission is to “save lives and reduce suffering by destroying deadly microorganisms that can cause hospital acquired infections (HAIs).”

UMC is the only El Paso hospital to have a Xenex Germ-Zapping Robot, which it’s been using since purchasing it in March, said hospital spokesman Ryan Mielke.

The robot is squat and mobile, with a saucer-shaped top that elevates on a tower to reveal a long light bulb. The machine emanates ultraviolet light and xenon gas through a series of loud pops and a bright, pulsing light.

“It’s to kill any basic contact germs, such as MRSA, HIV, and other deadly contamination that can be brought into an operating room,” Bryan Stone told ABC-7 as he demonstrated how the robot worked. Stone is an associate with UMC’s environmental services department.

According to the Xenex website, the robot’s UV disinfection solution reduces the bacterial load often associated with an increased risk for hospital-acquired infections.

UMC said it uses the robot as a supplement for post-operating room clean-up, not as a replacement. Officials also said they haven’t had any recent incidents involving hospital-borne infections, but they didn’t want to leave anything to chance.

“Not everybody is perfect at cleaning,” Stone said, adding, “As long as it’s used normally and after a (highly invasive surgery involving vital organs), it would stop the spread of anything from starting from the room.”

The robot can clean one of UMC’s operating rooms in four minutes, and is used throughout the day. Crews activate the robot’s technology in all 12 of the hospital’s ORs after all scheduled procedures are completed for the day.

UMC spokesman Ryan Mielke told ABC-7 the hospital is in the process of buying one more of the $100,000 robots to use primarily in its ICU.

Watch Stephanie Valle’s report on ABC-7’s newscast at 5pm.