The use of adenosine triphosphate bioluminescence to assess the efficacy of a modified cleaning program implemented within an intensive care setting

Background A total environmental cleaning system based on microfiber technology was implemented within 2 intensive care units (ICUs). The efficacy of this modified cleaning program was assessed using adenosine triphosphate (ATP) bioluminescence. Methods A team of trained hygiene technicians cleaned all near-patient furniture and equipment twice a day using ultramicrofiber cloths. Every week for 40 weeks, 10 surfaces within a randomly selected bed area were sampled using the 3M Clean-Trace Clinical Hygiene Monitoring System (3M Health Care Ltd, Loughborough, United Kingdom). The ability of the modified cleaning program to reduce surface contamination to “acceptable” levels was measured against previously proposed benchmark ATP values. Results In comparison with normal cleaning procedures routinely carried out by the nurses, the modified cleaning program significantly reduced ( P < .001) the ATP readings obtained from surfaces within the near-patient environment. In both ICUs, 95% of surfaces sampled after modified cleaning had relative light unit values of