Clinical and microbiological effectiveness of pulsed-xenon ultraviolet light disinfection in a neonatal intensive care unit in Japan

Background: Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a common causative agent of serious healthcare-related infections in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In adult ICUs, pulsed-xenon ultraviolet (PX-UV) disinfection of environmental surfaces, along with alcohol-based hand hygiene and terminal cleaning, has been demonstrated to reduce the MRSA acquisition rate.

Aim: To explore the impact of PX-UV use in NICUs on reducing MRSA transmission.

Methods: The incidence of newly detected MRSA cases was recorded for all patients between January 2021 and December 2022. UV irradiation was used in addition to terminal manual cleaning. During the baseline period, irradiation was performed on areas following the use by patients with MRSA; in the intervention period, irradiation was performed after each patient's use.

Findings: Though there was no observed change in the frequency of hand hygiene compliance throughout the study period, the total number of MRSA cases detected per 1000 patient-days decreased significantly.

Conclusion: In NICUs, UV irradiation of environmental surfaces, in addition to hand hygiene practices and conventional environmental maintenance, may be effective in reducing MRSA infection.