Evidence Lacking for Environmental Infection Control Practices

​Despite the acknowledged importance of environmental cleaning of hard surfaces as part of an overall infection control program, only limited evidence exists regarding which practices are most effective, according to a report from the ECRI Institute-Penn Medicine Evidence-Based Practice Center sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The study's authors reviewed 80 clinical studies published in the past 25 years regarding cleaning practices targeting high-profile infections such as Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and vancomycin-resistant enterococci.