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On September 14, 2023, we were represented at the 7th International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva, Switzerland, and invited to our HARTMANN Symposium as a complement to the congress program. Topic of the on-site symposium:
"Surface disinfection in upheaval - How to find your way through the jungle of guidelines, resistance, and sustainability".
The symposium was chaired by Prof. Dr. Johannes Knobloch, Head of the Infection Prevention and Control Department at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany, and Dr. Heide Niesalla, Head of HARTMANN SCIENCE CENTER, BODE Chemie GmbH, a company of the HARTMANN GROUP, Hamburg, Germany.
The symposium consisted of two lectures. The first talk was titled "Cleaning and disinfection of near-patient areas. What do the guidelines say?". Prof. Dr. Simone Scheithauer, director of the Department of Infection Control and Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Göttingen, Germany, began her presentation by highlighting the relevance of cleaning and disinfection of near-patient areas. Hospital surfaces are often contaminated with nosocomial pathogens. It has been shown that contaminated hospital surfaces play a significant role in human-to-human transmission. Improved surface cleaning and disinfection can reduce the incidence of healthcare-associated infections. Prof. Scheithauer continued by providing an overview of current guidelines regarding surface disinfection. One of the recommendations of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO, Germany) with the highest level of evidence states that when selecting surface disinfectants, the spectrum of activity, material compatibility, and risks to humans and the environment must be weighed. Looking at the climate crisis, Prof. Dr. Scheithauer believes that an even stronger link between infection prevention and sustainability will be needed in the future. In this context, she is the spokesperson for the newly established KRINKO Working Group on Sustainability in Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention. For more information, please see the video recording of the symposium lecture and the presentation slides.
The second talk was titled "Requirements for future disinfectants: From efficacy to resistance to sustainability". Dr. Marco Krewing, Scientist at the HARTMANN SCIENCE CENTER, BODE Chemie GmbH, a company of the HARTMANN GROUP, Hamburg, Germany, gave an overview of the requirements for surface disinfectants. These include microbiological efficacy. In this context, it can be observed that the call for a greater number of test organisms is becoming louder such as Candida auris. In recent years, the number of publications about disinfectant resistance have increased, although transferring laboratory results into clinical practice is still often difficult. In addition, today's products must be less harmful to humans and the environment. Another requirement is material compatibility. Medical devices are becoming increasingly complex as the materials used become more diverse. , sustainability is a key requirement for surface disinfectants – in terms of formulation, wipe material as well as packaging. The healthcare sector accounts for 4.4% of global CO2 emissions. In times of climate change and in view of dwindling natural resources, the healthcare industry therefore has a responsibility to develop sustainable products. For more information, please see the video recording of the symposium lecture and the presentation slides.
