WDGMC
5.4.2022 08:47:12 CEST | Business Wire | Press release
Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre announced novel study results indicating for the first time that Ultraviolet (UV) room decontamination technology paired with manual cleaning protocols decreased the transmission of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE) by 23% in a hospital setting. The study results have been published in the March 2022 issue of The Journal of Hospital Infection.
The team of researchers at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC), the first private teaching hospital in South Africa, demonstrated the reduction in CRE transmission following a 26-month study and the sustained use of a UV room decontamination device (UVDI-360 Room Sanitizer, provided by US-based manufacturer UVDI and eHealthGroup Infection Control) as an adjunct to standard cleaning, including the use of bleach and quaternary ammonium disinfectants, across the 210-bed hospital. The intervention included broad UV room decontamination across five high-risk patient units (including critical care, oncology, transplant and gastrointestinal surgery rooms) during a 12-month period following a 12-month baseline and two-month, wash-in period.
“Our team’s study indicated that enhanced environmental hygiene utilizing UV room decontamination technology in the hospital can help prevent the transmission of Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales , an especially challenging set of multidrug-resistant organisms,” stated lead investigator Dr. Warren Lowman, Clinical Microbiologist & Infection Prevention and Control Specialist, Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.
The UV room decontamination device was implemented in three usage scenarios: terminal cleaning following patient discharge, terminal cleaning following patient transfer and, in a novel treatment, occupied rooms where the patient had an existing MDRO infection and was moved during device use. For each scenario, the UV device was operated with five-minute treatment cycles, the number of which varied per room setting and size.
CRE refers to a broader set of microorganisms that demonstrate resistance to at least one of the Carbapenem antibiotics.1 Recent published surveillance studies in South Africa have indicated a CRE infection crude mortality rate of nearly 40%.2
“This research underlines WDGMC’s steadfast commitment to patient and staff safety through the use of novel infection prevention protocols,” said Dr. Sue Tager, Chief Executive Officer, Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. “In the ongoing fight to prevent the transmission of superbugs, both in and beyond Africa, these results provide hope and concrete proof that effective solutions exist.”
About Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre
Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre (WDGMC) is the first and only private teaching hospital in South Africa. It was established in 2002 when the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits University) bought the Kenridge Hospital with a founding donation from the Donald Gordon Foundation. The institution was then renamed the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre. The 210-bed facility’s main specialties are transplant surgery, oncology (paediatric and adult), gastroenterology (medical and surgical), geriatric medicine, interventional radiology ophthalmology, ear-nose and throat, urology, nephrology, cardiology, women’s health and orthopaedics.
___________
1
https://www.cdc.gov/hai/organisms/cre/technical-info.html
2
Perovic O, Ismail H, Quan V, Bamford C, Nana T, Chibabhai V, Bhola P, Ramjathan P, Swe Swe-Han K, Wadula J, Whitelaw A, Smith M, Mbelle N, Singh-Moodley A; for GERMS-SA. Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in patients with bacteraemia at tertiary hospitals in South Africa, 2015 to 2018. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis. 2020 Jul;39(7):1287-1294. doi: 10.1007/s10096-020-03845-4. Epub 2020 Mar 2. PMID: 32124106.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220404006042/en/
Link:
About Business Wire
Subscribe to releases from Business Wire
Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Latest releases from Business Wire
Around 500 Attend Sino-European ESG Conference in Germany1.7.2026 18:00:00 CEST | Press release
Around 500 government officials, business executives and academics from China and Europe gathered in the western German city of Mainz on Friday for the Third Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference to discuss how deeper cooperation can support sustainable economic growth. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701255421/en/ Group photo of selected attendees at the conference. Hosted by the Chinese Consulate General in Frankfurt and jointly organized with authorities from Germany and China, the conference brought together participants from China, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Luxembourg and several other countries under the theme "From Vision to Practice: Empowering Sustainable Growth Through Collaboration." Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), delivered a video address. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Huang Yiyang, Chinese Co
Sinopec Receives CSR Award at Sino-European ESG Conference in Germany1.7.2026 15:38:00 CEST | Press release
China Petroleum & Chemical Corp. (Sinopec) has received the Corporate Social Responsibility Best Practice Award at the 3rd Sino-European Corporate ESG Best Practice Conference in Mainz, Germany, for its case study on carbon footprint management and low-carbon development. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701696760/en/ Huang Yiyang (L), Chinese Consul General in Frankfurt, presents the award to a representative of Sinopec. The conference jury said Sinopec has developed a carbon management framework centered on product carbon footprint management, covering the full product life cycle while aligning with both Chinese and European standards. It cited the company’s work with German chemical producer BASF to achieve mutual recognition of carbon footprint accounting methodologies as a milestone that could support greener cooperation across international industrial supply chains. According to the jury, Sinopec’s eff
Vercel and Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Announce Multi-Year Strategic Partnership1.7.2026 15:30:00 CEST | Press release
The agentic infrastructure platform known for speed is joining forces with one of the world's fastest Formula One teams Today Vercel, the agentic infrastructure company, announced a new multi-year deal with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. Starting with the British Grand Prix July 2 – 5 2026, Vercel branding will appear on the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team race cars as the partnership begins its first chapter, before expanding significantly across the team ecosystem from 2027 onward. The partnership includes global branding rights, premium hospitality experiences, customer engagement, content creation, and technical collaborations, including plans to evolve the team’s digital platforms to Vercel. “Formula One is where every millisecond matters, every decision counts, and continuous innovation is fundamental to success. Vercel shares that same philosophy,” said Richard Sanders, Chief Commercial Officer, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team. “The Vercel platform is
OXMIQ Raises $35 Million to Scale OxCore™ Architecture1.7.2026 15:15:00 CEST | Press release
OXMIQ Labs Inc., a unified GPU and AI architecture company founded by Raja Koduri, today closed its $35 million Series A financing, bringing the company’s total capital raised to $60 million. The funding will scale OxCore™, OXMIQ’s licensable GPU architecture that allows semiconductor companies and AI system builders to build custom AI silicon without a full chip program. The round was co-led by Fundomo and Samsung Catalyst Fund, with participation from MediaTek, AM Intelligence Labs, Pegatron Venture Capital, CDIB-TEN, Darwin Ventures, and Morgan Creek Digital, among other financial and strategic investors. OXMIQ’s expertise spans the full AI stack, from renewable power and data center infrastructure to silicon IP, electron-to-token machines (ETMs™), along with the software that runs AI factories and agents. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701241910/en/ OXMIQ Funding raised to date of $60M after current $3
SamanTree Medical’s Histolog® Scanner Technology Featured in 13 Publications in Special BJU International Issue on Confocal Microscopy in Urology1.7.2026 15:01:00 CEST | Press release
Papers highlight clinical research on use of confocal microscopy for real-time tissue assessment in various urologic procedures SamanTree Medical, a global leader in surgical imaging innovation, today announced that Histolog Scanner confocal microscopy technology has been featured in 13 peer-reviewed clinical papers in a special issue of BJU International, one of the world’s leading journals in urology. The special edition focuses on a growing body of evidence of the role of confocal microscopy in urologic surgery. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260701425845/en/ SamanTree Medical announces that Histolog® Scanner confocal microscopy technology is featured in 13 peer-reviewed clinical papers in a special issue of BJU International. “The special issue represents increasing momentum behind confocal microscopy in urologic surgery,” said Professor Greg Shaw, consultant urologic surgeon at University College London
In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.
Visit our pressroom