A recent study showed a 46 percent decrease in surgical-site infections after a Lowell, Mass., hospital used disinfecting robots in its operating rooms, according to an article on the Med City News website.
In the study, Lowell General Hospital demonstrated the effectiveness of using pulsed xenon ultraviolet light to disinfect hospital ORs nightly.
Researchers said that by using the UV light in addition to routine chemical disinfection, the hospital avoided an estimated 23 infections.
The study pointed out that even after standard chemical disinfection, many hospital OR surfaces — about 50 percent — remain inadequately disinfected.
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