Use of a Hydrogen Peroxide Nebulizer for Viral Disinfection of Emergency Ambulance and Hospital Waiting Room

Abstract

Disinfection of hospital facilities and ambulances is an important issue for breaking the chain of transmission of viral pathogens. Hydrogen peroxide has provided promising results in laboratory assays. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of a hydrogen peroxide nebulizer for the inactivation of surrogate MS2 bacteriophage and murine norovirus (MNV) in a patient waiting room and the fully equipped cabin of a medical ambulance. We observed an average 3 log 10 titer reduction in both settings, which represents the destruction of over 10 6 and 10 9 infectious particles of MNV and MS2 per cm 2 , respectively. The potential for viral exposure is high for health workers when disinfecting confined and cluttered spaces, so the use of a hydrogen peroxide mist might offer an affordable and efficient solution to minimize the risk of viral contaminations.

The organization of ambulance decontamination during the COVID-19 pandemic: a process analysis based on the Lean Thinking philosophy

“…Hydrogen peroxide decomposes into water and oxygen, thus reducing the risk of oxidizing medical equipment. 13 Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation is a simple disinfecting and sterilizing method, based on the emission of UV light at a certain wavelength; its effect damages the nucleic acid and consequently inhibits germs replication. UV systems are simple and have the great advantage of not leaving residuals; the main risks are related to skin and eye exposure when using specific UV wavelengths.…”