In the wake of
International Women’s Day, we would like to address a
crucial issue - the importance of a safe environment for
pregnant women at maternity hospitals. One of the major
issues that can threaten the safety of pregnant women,
when their bodies are under a lot of stress and open to
any conceivable type of infection, are hospital-acquired
infections (HAIs).
According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), HAIs
include diseases that have a microbial nature
and occur during a visit to a medical
institution or within 10 days after hospital
discharge. The infection is classified as an HAI
if its first signs are detected more than 48 to
72 hours after hospital admission.
The occurrence of HAIs in pregnant women can be due to the entry of pathogenic bacteria, virus, or fungi into their bodies. The harmful effects of infectious agents can lead to miscarriages and stillbirths.
Another very common way
pregnant women acquire HAIs is through cesarean
operations during delivery. The surgical procedure
largely increases the chances of getting infected.
So, clean and hygienic operation theaters are a
must.
Major factors which promote the occurrence of HAIs in hospitals include:
-
overcrowding of medical facilities with visitors;
-
violation of hygiene and antiseptic procedures by the nursing staff;
-
low-quality or infrequent disinfection and sterilization of instruments and rooms.
The primary preventive strategy to deal with HAIs is the practice of sanitary and hygienic standards in maternity hospitals. This specifically applies to the proper disinfection of the hospital premises, medical instruments, appliances, and linen. In most cases, pregnant women and newborns are exposed to HAIs due to low-quality or infrequent disinfection procedures.
Taking this opportunity, we would like to introduce our disinfecting robot, the Robo-UV Pro. Our product is an autonomous disinfection robot created to make hospital disinfection faster, more efficient, and cost-effective. It uses UVC radiation to disinfect surfaces and kills 99.999% of pathogens. It has already been tested in Polish hospitals and received positive feedback. Robo-UV Pro can be frequently used to disinfect operation theaters before cesarean operations, the labor rooms, and the NICUs to prevent the spread of infections.
An estimated 3.8
million people acquire HAIs in EU countries every year.
Out of which 90,000 people die each year. It also
increases the length of hospital stay and costs. Thus,
HAIs are becoming a persistent danger for the health of
birthing women and newborns. The use of the Robo-UV Pro
can help in the efficient disinfection of maternity
hospitals and will prove to be a strong step towards
fighting hospital-acquired infections.
Resources:
https://detstrana.ru/service/disease/pregnant/vnutribolnichnye-infektsii/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559312/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7152335/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2683/
https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/176957/high-levels-hospital-acquired-infection-childrens-intensive/