Infection Control

Preventing the Spread of Infection

It’s widely acknowledged that washing bedpans by hand, as well as using yellow bags for manual disposal, is an infection risk. Fortunately, there are far more dependable methods available which will keep your patients and clinicians safe.

If disposable pulp products are your facility’s waste management item of choice, a macerator will dispose of the item directly into the sewerage system – with no unnecessary handling required. 

If your facility uses reusable bedpans, these can be reliably sanitised by a washer disinfector. Its thermal disinfection technology will kill the pathogens that you can’t see – and might miss if you decide to resort to hand-washing.

Try DDC Dolphin’s advanced infection control equipment for free in your hospital wards.

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DDC Dolphin working with Nurses

DDC Dolphin Pulpmatic Ultima Medical Pulp Bedpan Macerator Being Loaded

Maintain excellent hand hygiene with touch-free, motion sensor technology that will open and close the machine automatically, as well as foot pedals to serve the same purpose. 

In addition, the anti-microbial coatings available on DDC Dolphin washer disinfectors and macerators will inhibit the growth of bacterial spores, helping to ensure that your sluice room’s surfaces remain safe.

Unlike traditional methods of bedpan cleaning, you can be certain that the sanitation capabilities of your washer disinfectors and macerators are truly effective.

Control panels on bedpan washers will show that the machine is meeting the required temperature and process time to kill HCAIs, while the auto-disinfection of macerator chambers will eliminate 99.999% of spores associated with major healthcare acquired infections.

To learn more about how we have helped facilities like yours with infection prevention and control, please take a look at the case studies below.

DDC Dolphin working with Hospitals

Case Studies

Juntendo University Case Study

Juntendo University Nerima Hospital - Japan

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Juntendo Hospital was the first private hospital in Japan, originally founded in 1838 as a Dutch School of Medicine at a time when Western medical education was not yet embedded as a normal part of Japanese society. 

With the creation of Juntendo, the founders hoped to create a place where people could come together with the shared goal of helping society through the powers of medical education and practices.  
The university specialises in the fields of health science, health and sports science, nursing health care and sciences, and international liberal arts, as well as medicine.  

The Challenge 

The Infection Control Team at Juntendo found several used urine and feces bowls left in the sluice room waiting to be washed, resulting in a very unhygienic working environment for staff.  This was caused by busy wards and staff that could not wait for the bed pan washer to complete its cycle.   
To reduce exposure to staff working in the sluice room and improve the sluice room environment the Infection Control Team began to consider switching to single use pulp product.  A DDC Dolphin Pulpmatic Ultima medical pulp macerator using single use pulp products was introduced in the Emergency Department for a six-month trial period.

The Solution

After a successful trial period Sakura were instructed to install a further 11 Pulpmatic Ultima and Pulpmatic Uno macerators. The DDC Dolphin macerators and single use pulp not only reduced the risk of cross contamination but it also provided a much improved sluice room environment.    
By using single-use pulp products placed directly into the macerator no preliminary washing of the containers was required and time spent in the sluice room for clinicians reduced from 41 to 9 minutes per day.  Plus, from an operations perspective the Pulpmatic macerators have proved to be exceptionally economic using little water and energy in addition to a 30% saving in chemical usage.  It was the perfect solution for the infection control team, operators, clinicians and patients who were all happy using the single use pulp containers and macerators. 

The Outcome

Apart from the operational benefits, switching to medical pulp macerators greatly improved the sluice room environment and the cooperation between the Infection Control Team and ward staff. We were very impressed with the overall benefits of using this system and the future for us will certainly be using macerators and single use pulp wherever possible.  

Mr Tomohiko Iizuka- ICN  -  Juntendo University Nerima Hospital 

Juntendo University Case Study

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Monarch Healthcare

Monarch Healthcare

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Monarch Healthcare own and manage 12 homes which provide healthcare services of the highest quality, specialising in treatment for people with dementia and providing exceptional standards of care to promote the health and well-being of their residents. They offer specialist support using personalised plans which allows each individual the opportunity to live life as the person they have always been.

The Challenge

In line with infection control procedures Monarch Healthcare needed to have dedicated sluice rooms in all their homes and wanted to update their current sluice room equipment. When government infection control funding was released it enabled them to move forward with their plan. They had been a customer of DDC Dolphin for over 20 years and recently implemented the DDC Dolphin 360° Service offering for their sluice room equipment. DDC Dolphin were asked to supply a full asset and condition report and come up with a plan for updating and supplying new machines all within a set budget.

The Solution

With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic DDC Dolphin’s engineers were set the task to continue providing the required maintenance and provide a full asset and condition report on the current sluice room equipment. Having worked at the highest levels, installing sluice room machines in key frontline field hospitals, our engineers are able to operate in full hazmat under the most demanding infection-control regimes. We visited each home working within the government restrictions and with the report complete were then able to make plans. Keeping within the budget we were able to supply 7 new Panamatic Midi Bedpan Washer Disinfectors to the homes. This would ensure that all the sluice rooms, new or old have fully functioning bedpan washer disinfectors and all would comply fully with modern infection control standards.

The Outcome

"We have worked with DDC Dolphin for over 20 years but only recently taken out a service contract. We have been delighted with the level of service we have received, especially during these difficult times, and when we decided to upgrade the sluice rooms in our homes, we were confident that they would be able to supply us with the high quality standards of products and services we required."

Hiten Shanghavi - Director - Monarch Healthcare

Monarch Healthcare

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INER Mexico

National Institute of Respiratory Diseases - Mexico

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The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases (INER) Ismael Cosío Villegas is a public assistance institution belonging to the Mexican Ministry of Health and specialises in respiratory diseases.  It is part of the Mexican National Institutes of Health, a system of 12 high-specialty hospitals that provide public health services to the Mexican population.  The National Institute of Respiratory Diseases was the first health facility in Mexico to confirm the first case nationally of COVID-19. 

The Challenge 

Novas Soluciones Sustentables had previously installed a Pulpmatic Ultima in the hospital, a first for the hospital using maceration with single use medical pulp.  It was an overwhelming success, seeing the immediate advantage of the system and the benefits of containing infection and reducing the risk of cross contamination.  It was so much simpler than previous methods they had used, much less time consuming allowing clinicians to spend more time with their patients.  With the onset of COVID-19 pandemic INER need to quickly increase their patient capacity and built an impromptu hospital unit in the car park area of the hospital.  Novas Soluciones Sustentables were contacted and asked to supply and fit another Pulpmatic Ultima in the new unit. 

The Solution

Novas Soluciones Sustentables had to respond quickly to the request as time was of the essence. Working closely with the hospital team they were informed as soon as the plumbing, water and electrical requirements were available and were able to immediately send in an engineer to carry out the full installation. Installing a medical pulp macerator into the unit will help eliminate the risk of transmission of SARS-COV2 through faeces and other body fluids.  Novas Soluciones Sustentables were proud to be able to play a part in helping to protect the patients and brave medical staff who are caring for the patients during the pandemic. 

The Outcome

We believe attention to infection control measures will now take far more prevalence in all health environments, and we will be there, ready to help, advise and show from success stories such as this one how quality equipment and good working practices are imperative to keep infection under control. 

Aldo Novelo  - Director  - Novas Soluciones Sustentables

INER Mexico 2

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Southend University Summary Image

Southend University Hospital

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Southend University Hospital was founded in 1888 at the Southend Victoria Hospital site. The present hospital opened in 1932 and serves a catchment area with a population of approximately 350,000.The facility has been awarded 'Cancer Centre' status and gained Foundation Trust status under the name Southend University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

 

The Challenge

The hospital provides a comprehensive and varied range of general medical and acute services across its site, meaning that the prevention of healthcare associated infection is one of the top priorities as the hospital continually strives to introduce new services to help patients recover faster and hopefully leave hospital sooner. The hospital's focus on patients, research, education and innovation meant that they required a sluice room partner with knowledge, experience and a core understanding of what the facility is trying to achieve.

 

The Solution

DDC Dolphin has been working with Southend University Hospital since 2005, when 43 Panamatic Optima 3 washer disinfectors were supplied and installed in their sluice rooms. Since then DDC Dolphin has carried out regular HTM revalidation, maintenance and servicing. DDC Dolphin's latest range of completely hands-free equipment was of particular interest to Southend University Hospital, especially the Pulpmatic Ultima macerators. A number of these machines have now been installed within the hospital and are proving to be a real asset in the fight against HCAI's.

 

The Outcome

"We are delighted to be working with DDC Dolphin for the supply and maintenance of our sluice room equipment. DDC Dolphin understands of the importance of fighting the transmission of HCAIs, and together with their completely hands-free, high-quality and comprehensive range of washer disinfectors and macerators, helps to support our commitment to infection control and patient wellbeing".

Jan China, Associate Director Estates & Facilities, Southend University Hospital

"DDC Dolphin's HTM testing, maintenance and service programme is second to none. All the hassle is taken out of the process by their quick, compliant response times, competent and professional engineers, and comprehensive spares stock held in their vans. DDC Dolphin also keep us completely up to date by preparing detailed reports on each machine's usage and condition. We look forward to working with DDC Dolphin for many years to come".

Steve Taylor, Facilities Maintenance Supervisor, Southend University Hospital

Southend University Summary Image

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Farrer Park Hospital Summary Image

Farrer Park Hospital, Singapore

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Farrer Park Hospital is a private tertiary healthcare institute in Singapore, set up to offer a fresh approach to medical treatment. Their care philosophy extends beyond healing and the management of disease to engaging their patients as partners in the pursuit of good health and providing an oasis for realising these goals.

 

The Challenge

Farrer Park Hospital were initially considering bedpan washer disinfectors for this new hospital project. NEU Industries introduced them to the concept of DDC Dolphin macerators and single-use pulp items as a solution to their needs. By using this new maceration technology, nurses would be able to spend more time with their patients. In addition, the unique hands-free technology also helps in the everyday fight against healthcare associated infections.

 

The Solution

DDC Dolphin’s large capacity Pulpmatic Ultima macerators are now installed throughout the wards in the new hospital building and are proving to be a real asset in the fight against healthcare associated infections. This latest range of hygienic, completely hands-free equipment with automatic self-cleaning flushing, plus the anti-blockage feature was the perfect solution for Farrer Park. These machines are now installed throughout the hospital, giving nurses more time to attend to patients.

 

The Outcome

“We were initially considering the traditional bedpan sanitizers but after much consideration in regard to the cost and benefits it could bring us, we decided to go for DDC Dolphin macerators. We have made the right choice. The machine is very easy to use, hands-free and with no blockages! We are very happy and glad to have NEU Industries providing their excellent service to us. I would highly recommend using DDC Dolphin macerators and pulp items supplied by NEU Industries for any dirty utility room”.

Badli Shah, Senior Nurse Manager, Farrer Park Hospital

Farrer Park Hospital Summary Image

 

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