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Changing Outbreaks in Long Term Care from Crisis to Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2026

Mary Cole*
Affiliation:
The Highlands at Brighton

Abstract

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Background: Despite implementing standard infection prevention measures, our long-term care facility faced catastrophic outbreaks in units with cognitively impaired residents, where such interventions proved either ineffective or impractical due to staffing and resident-related challenges. Project Design: Confronted with constraints related to staff, residents, and resources common in long-term care facilities, we explored options for adjunctive measures to address these challenges, ultimately implementing dry hydrogen peroxide technology in these specialized areas. Outcomes and Lessons Learned: This intervention resulted in drastic reductions in microbial burden, the total number of outbreaks, outbreak attack rates, severity, and duration, while optimizing resident quality of life without placing additional strain on staff. Through this process, we learned that infection prevention interventions tailored to the characteristics of the population and facility yield maximum effectiveness.

A poster detailing the implementation of DHP in long-term care facilities to control outbreaks.

Information

Type
Long Term Care
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America