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BACKGROUND
1. As Greenbridge Environmental
Control Ltd considers Activ8 to be such a powerful, safe, cleaner
disinfectant that can address a wide variety of infection problems
worldwide, the company felt it imperative to secure clear robust
science to prove and demonstrate the product’s properties
and potential. Its documented efficacy against bacteria, fungi
and viruses in general and Hepatitis B&C, TB, VRE, MRSA, SARS,
Avian Bird Flu in particular are detailed at www.greenbridge.cc.
This investment has been rewarded with a level 2 recommendation
from the UK Government’s Department of Health Rapid Review
Panel (RRP), reflecting the capabilities of this new and innovative
product.
THE NEED TO TRIAL ACTIV8 AS A VAPOUR
2. As part of this on-going
work, it was felt prudent to carry out a specific series of trials
on the efficacy of Activ8 when delivered as a vapour to clean
and disinfect in a range of settings from hospitals, bird farms
and sports stadia, through to cruise liners and commercial aircraft.
It was therefore decided to carry out the initial investigative
study in a hospital setting with known high levels of contamination.
AIM OF THE SUMMARY
3. The aim of this paper
is to provide an executive summary of the trial to enable potential
purchasers to assess the cost effectiveness of Activ8 in the fight
against bacterial, fungal and viral infections in a wide variety
of industries well beyond the healthcare sector.
AIM OF THE STUDY
4. The aim of the study
was to evaluate the efficacy of Activ8 when applied in a vapouriser/fogger
device in clearing a single hospital room containing MRSA in fixed
innocula on standard agar plates. In addition the safety of staff
using the device with Activ8™ was assessed subjectively.
STUDY DESIGN AND PROCEDURES
5. The study in Aberdeen
Royal Infirmary (ARI) was designed to provide a single patient
room on five occasions and allow tests to be conducted on 25 agar
plates placed in identical key positions in each room (using a
room template) according to the requirements for eliminating Hospital
Acquired Infections (HAI) in general and MRSA in particular. Each
of the 25 agar plates were seeded with a standard innoculum of
MRSA using an approved spiral plated device.
6. The Contica 2400 Ultra-Lite Fogger was used
as the vapouriser in the trial and after being loaded with ACTIV
8 (100ml/litre) was switched on. During the vaporisation (or fogging)
process the designated microbiologist removed 5 agar plates starting
at the baseline of zero minutes, and then 30, 60 and 90 minutes
with the final 5 plates at 120 minutes. Each of the agar plates
were subsequently transferred to routine culture in the laboratory
with the zero minute samples acting as positive control at a clearly
defined baseline.
7. Objective measurements of the Total Viable
Count (TVC) on the plates both before and after vaporisation were
made to identify the efficacy of ACTIV8 delivered by the vapouriser.
Subjectively, the Medical and Nursing Staff assessed not only
the ease and convenience of Activ8 being delivered by the vapouriser,
but also the appearance and smell in the test rooms.
CONDUCT
OF THE STUDY
8. After the data had been
collated for the first three rooms it became apparent that although
many plates had reduced to zero TVC after 30 minutes, the rate
of application was insufficient to reduce totally the TVC levels
effectively over the first 90 minutes. Therefore in the fourth
room the rate of application was increased and this resulted in
much improved decontamination over shorter time periods, but it
did also cause extreme room soaking after 75 minutes.
9. To overcome the soaking problem, the rate
of application in the fourth room, was retained and the time of
exposure reduced with the Latin square structure modified to test
the efficacy of vapourised Activ8 over shorter time scales –
and the plates being removed at zero and then at 10, 20, 30 and
60 minutes.
SUMMARY
OF RESULTS
10. The analysis of plates
in the first three rooms demonstrated that although Activ8 was
able to eliminate the contamination on some plates within 30 minutes,
the rate of application was insufficient to ensure total TVC elimination
after 120 minutes in some cases.
11. In the fourth room, analysis showed that
two out of five plates had trivial levels after 30 minutes, and
all five plates were at trivial levels at 60 minutes.
12. In the fifth room, two out of five plates
reached trivial levels after 20 minutes, four out of five after
30 minutes and all TVC levels reduced to almost zero after 60
minutes. This suggests that there is a minimum time between 30
and 60 minutes for successful elimination. The results at Appendix
1 are included for scientific readers who wish to see examples
of the analysed evidence.
13. Although the increase in the rate of application
of the vapourised Activ8 for the last two rooms enabled the study
to evaluate the efficacy of ACTIV8 to more refined TVC and time
criteria in a relatively short time, there is certainly a need
to investigate either modifying the Contica 2400 Ultra-Lite Fogger
or using another type that has more control over the rate of delivery
of the vapour.
REPORT
CONCLUSIONS
14.
The ARI report concluded that:
a. ACTIV8 has effective
antibacterial properties when applied via a fogging device (CONTICA
2400 Ultra-Lite Fogger) according to the Bristol protocol and
using fixed innocula of MRSA on agar gel plates.
b. There were no adverse effects on any of
the operators involved in this study though all used standard
nasal/mouth vented masks for the application of Activ8 from
this vapourising device.
c. Effective decontamination is achieved over
varying periods of time depending on both the rate and flow
of vapourisation of the liquid delivered.
d. Further studies would enable the optimal
rates and volumes of ACTIV8 using a fogging device to be defined
specifically.
COMPARISON
OF COST EFFECTIVENESS BETWEEN PRODUCTS
15. Because the use of
Activ8 as a safe cleaner disinfectant delivered by a vapouriser
potentially offers a unique and significant step forward in infection
control, the report includes factual data on a toxic product delivered
by vapouriser for comparison. While the ARI report restricts itself
to scientific fact and does not draw any commercially comparative
conclusions, market research by Greenbridge into the toxic product
indicates that the toxic product:
a. Vapouriser costs at
least £70,000 compared with £250 for the Contica.
b. Requires personal protection equipment (PPE)
for specially trained staff who cost around £3000 for
each fogging evolution as opposed to simple face masks for locally
trained domestic staff who are already on the pay roll/contract.
c. Requires the area/space being fogged to
be out of commission for 12-24 hours while Activ8 allows patients
to be returned to the area within one our.
OVERALL
CONCLUSION
16. Taking into account
the ARI report conclusions and further market research, Greenbridge
confirms that decontaminating a hospital room with Activ8 as a
vapour can be achieved within sixty minutes or less using locally
trained and employed staff with no specialised personal protection
equipment.
WAY
AHEAD
17. The Board of Greenbridge
has been greatly encouraged by the potentially significant findings
of the ARI vapourisation study and has therefore taken immediate
action to forge ahead with its marketing strategy to penetrate
a wide variety of markets that can benefit from this new and innovative
product that has so much potential to offer public health worldwide.
Appendix 1 - Analysis of Room 5
8.3.1 TVC Levels for Room 5 by Time and Row
8.3.2 TVC Levels for Room 5 by Time
and Column
8.3.3 TVC + 1 Levels on Log Scale
for Room 5 by Time and Row
8.3.4 Oneway Analysis of Variance
8.3.7 TVC Means Plot
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