What to do when bedbugs invade your facility - HCPro

1 Page 4 Briefings on Infection Control January 2011 2011 HCPro , Inc. For permission to reproduce part or all of this newsletter for external distribution or use in educational packets, contact the Copyright Clearance Center at or 978 to do when bedbugs invade your facilityFirst sign of bedbugs requires immediate actionrevealed that one in 10 Americans say they or some-one they know has had a bedbug problem. That statis-tic jumps to two in 10 in the Northeast, where areas such as New York City have experienced more exten-sive bad news is there is no real way to prevent these bugs from entering your facility . However, quick and effective interventions can stop the spread and reduce the risks of a serious infestation in patient rooms, lounges, waiting rooms, or virtually anywhere else in your healthcare facility .

2 bedbugs are here to stay; the trick is learning to spot them and then quickly resolving the issue, says Jeffrey B. Tucker, BCE, a consulting entomologist Continuing Education |Learning ObjectivesAfter reading this article, you will be able to: Explain the appropriate steps to resolve a bedbug problem List ways to identify a possible infestationUnfortunately, due to the nature of the hospital set-ting, it s almost a guarantee that you will have to deal with a bedbug infestation at some hospitals across the United States have reported problems with bedbugs in the past few months. A recent survey conducted by Infogroup/ORC on behalf of Enforcer brand pest control products doctors, and nurses were actively involved in preven-tion efforts. For example, he established a hand wash-ing certification program in which staff members had to demonstrate correct hand hygiene techniques.

3 He also gave managers in the facility gold silver dollars, which they carried around and awarded to staff members who were observed correctly washing their hands or follow-ing correct IC procedures. It was interesting to see surgeons who really didn t need a gold silver dollar and how they reacted when they were handed one by the OR charge nurse and how proud that they were doing the right things, Daniels shift ultimately relies on the very basic focus of healthcare: All patients should be afforded the opportu-nity for safe and reliable care in any facility . Daniel says he has been involved in healthcare for 40 years, 30 of those years as a senior manager, and this concept has re-mained constant. A strict focus on simple prevention procedures will improve all aspects of your facility .

4 your reputation will soar, finances will improve, and physi-cians will want to work for your facility . In all that time, one thing has not changed, and that is the importance of taking good care of our patients and making it your No. 1 priority ensuring our patients have a safe, clean, properly run, high-quality medical treatment facility where they do not have to worry about contracting an infectious disease while under our care or treatment, nor fear for their well-being or personal safety, he stricter healthcare regulations have sparked a focus on infection prevention, this commitment to a cultural shift among ASCs will ultimately help smaller facilities improve. It s one thing for us in government to say it shall be so, but to make it so takes a lot of work, and some facilities are not as far along as Lakeland Sur-gery, Perz says.

5 We need to get to the point where there is an even playing field so that patients can be con-fident when they walk into any ambulatory care setting that there is a minimum standard of safety that is being provided with respect to infection prevention. nAPIC award< continued from p. 3 January 2011 Briefings on Infection Control Page 5 2011 HCPro , Inc. For permission to reproduce part or all of this newsletter for external distribution or use in educational packets, contact the Copyright Clearance Center at or 978 Entomology Associates, Inc., in Houston who has served as a bedbug consultant for hospitals around the country. It s important to understand that there is no building that is occupied by humans that is [resistant] to bedbug infestation, Tucker says.

6 They have been found in every type of human residence and every mode of transporta-tion. bedbugs don t care. Developing a planHospitals are susceptible to a bedbug infestation sim-ply because of the sheer number of people (patients, staff, visitors, etc.) who pass through the doors night and day. No area is off-limits to bedbugs , says Tucker. He has seen infestations occur in patient rooms, waiting areas, staff areas, doctors and nurses lounges, booths in hospital cafeterias, and in the cubicles for secretarial and support that bedbugs are an imminent threat, hos-pitals need to build a policy regarding what to do if an infestation occurs. A policy for bedbugs has to first ac-knowledge they are a problem and they are likely to > continued on p. 6 Bring the heatWithout an exterminator and a number of pesticides, there aren t very many ways to kill bedbugs if you discover an infestation in your facility .

7 However, heat is one imme-diate option if you identify a problem, particularly on a patient s clothing. Temperatures need to reach 140 F for 30 minutes to effectively kill off any bedbugs and their eggs, says Paul Wenning, chair of the Central Ohio Bed Bug Task Force. It s very easy to take a patient s clothes once they have put on a hospital gown and put them in the dryer for 30 minutes, and that would immediately kill any bugs and their eggs, says Jennifer House, public information offi-cer for the Ohio Department of Health in Columbus. There are some hospitals that are considering policies like that in Ohio, but at this point it s basically trying to figure out what would work best for you and what s most cost-effective for the hospital. Warning signsThe following are a few indications that bedbugs may be present in your facility : Patients complaining of bites.

8 If a staff member or, particularly, a sedentary person who is not walking around complains of bites, especially from the waist down, it could be a case of bedbugs , says Jeffrey B. Tucker, BCE, a consulting entomologist for Entomol-ogy Associates, Inc., in Houston. These need to be investigated by someone who knows the difference be-tween a mosquito bite, something that is not a bite at all, or [something that has] the potential for bedbugs , Tucker says. Visual evidence. If a nurse walks in the room and sees something shoot across the bedsheets or the floor, he or she should alert the IC department for further investiga-tion. It may just be a harmless insect, but a quick reac-tion to a potential problem is the best way to prevent further spread. Brown spots.

9 bedbugs are hard to see, so it s often eas-ier to identify them by the feces they leave behind, says House. [It] basically looks like little brown spots, but they show up all over mattresses or pillowcases, so if the bugs are hiding in crevices or against the wall or behind baseboards, you would still see the evidence that they were there while an individual was sleeping, she especially aware of an outbreak if your facility has an in-house long-term care facility or a psychiatric ward where patients stay for an extended period of time, says Tucker. You can also prevent a possible infestation by barring as many personal items as possible. Wheelchairs are especial-ly prone to bedbugs , so some hospitals choose to make pa-tients use hospital wheelchairs exclusively.

10 For more information on identifying bedbugs , refer to the Ohio Department of Health bedbug Fact Sheet on pp. 6 7. > continued on p. 8 Page 6 Briefings on Infection Control January 2011 2011 HCPro , Inc. For permission to reproduce part or all of this newsletter for external distribution or use in educational packets, contact the Copyright Clearance Center at or 978 2011 Briefings on Infection Control Page 7 2011 HCPro , Inc. For permission to reproduce part or all of this newsletter for external distribution or use in educational packets, contact the Copyright Clearance Center at or 978 8 Briefings on Infection Control January 2011 2011 HCPro , Inc. For permission to reproduce part or all of this newsletter for external distribution or use in educational packets, contact the Copyright Clearance Center at or 978 a problem at one time or another in the hospi-tal, Tucker says.