Failure to Follow Disinfectant Instructions
Penalty
Summary
The facility failed to adhere to the manufacturer's instructions for using a disinfectant, Virasept, on one of the hallways observed. The facility's documentation outlined the importance of following the manufacturer's recommended dwell time for disinfectants to effectively sanitize surfaces. According to the manufacturer's instructions, Virasept requires a surface to remain wet for at least four minutes to be effective. However, during an observation, a housekeeper was seen disinfecting a doorknob with Virasept, but the surface dried within three minutes, and the housekeeper did not reapply the solution to maintain the required wet time. Interviews with the housekeeping manager and the housekeeper confirmed the deficiency. The housekeeping manager stated that the surface must remain wet for four minutes, as per the instructions, and the housekeeper acknowledged that the doorknob was not wet for the required duration. This failure to comply with the manufacturer's instructions for disinfectant use could potentially compromise the facility's infection prevention and control program, particularly in preventing the spread of infectious organisms like Candida auris.