Bioquell Pod featured at Infection Prevention 2014 Conference
Facilitates infection control management by segregating patients while offering easy observation for nurses
The Infection Prevention 2014 Conference held recently in Glasgow featured a series of presentations by NHS hospital representatives who have been using the Bioquell Pod to improve their infection control practices.
The Bioquell Pod is an infection control enclosure that has been designed to limit the spread of pathogens in ward environments and can be used to convert units into single occupancy rooms. It facilitates infection control management by segregating patients while offering easy observation for nurses. It is a tailored temporary structure that doesn’t require the closure of the unit during installation.
Speaking at the event, two representatives of the Alder Hey Children’s NHS Foundation Trust presented the results comparing the number of missed isolation days before and after the installation of three pods in a 15-bed High Dependency Unit. Missed isolation days fell from 58% (662/1138) pre-pod to 15% (205/1382) during the first year of pod use (p<0.001). The impact was most marked for MRSA (51% to 8%. P<0.001) and respiratory viruses (60% to 16%, p<0.001). This data reflects how the use of the Bioquell Pod reduces transmission risk.
The Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust is another hospital that had two pods installed in the ICU. Despite a few drawbacks highlighted by both patients and staff, overall the pod is viewed as a positive addition to existing facilities and the Trust is currently evaluating the installation of pods in other areas of the critical care service and in other services throughout the Trust.
In yet another example, Caroline Bell from City Hospitals Sunderland, commented: 'The Pods have provided a high standard of patient care and greater flexibility in caring for a variety of patients requiring isolation. We believe they have reduced the risk of the spread of infection by increasing side room capacity and negating the need to nurse patients in bays.
'We hope to extend the evaluation of the Pods for a further six months to gather additional quantitative evidence.'
