Virginia Research Day 2022

Medical Student Research Cl inical

12 Changes In Use Of Quaternary Ammonium Compound (QAC) Disinfectants In Florida, Pennsylvania, And Michigan Hospitals Due To The COVID-19 Pandemic

Tyler Steve; Chang Xu; Callie Moran; Julia Rosenblum; Theresa J. McCann; Terry C. Hrubec Corresponding author: tsteve@vt.vcom.edu

VCOM Virginia

be assessed. Paired t-tests or non-parametric equivalents will be used to compare changes in disinfection practices. All analyses will be 2-tailed with statistical significance set at p<0.05, and 95% confidence intervals will be provided for outcomes. We hypothesized that the use and exposure to disinfectants, specifically QACs, has increased since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first study to survey hospitals on a national level to measure the changes in disinfectant use in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

biosynthetic pathways, which are impaired in a dose-dependent relationship with QAC concentration in chronically exposed individuals. This study surveyed hospitals of various sizes from Florida, Pennsylvania, and Michigan to better understand how disinfection practices have changed with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. These states are representative of the country as a whole and were chosen by having a median rank based on 29 health related metrics. The survey consists of a combination of multiple choice and open- ended questions to determine disinfectant use in specific locations within the hospital and identify changes in disinfectant protocols in response to the pandemic. This ongoing study hopes to obtain results from at least 100 hospitals. Currently, 213 hospitals have been called with 32 hospitals responding, for a response rate of 15%. Once all the data are collected, descriptive statistics with means and proportions will be used to describe the data. Normality and distribution of data will

Disinfection is necessary in hospital settings to prevent spread of diseases, but results in exposure of healthcare workers and patients to the disinfectants used. With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, changes in use of disinfecting products must be examined. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QACs) are chemicals present in many disinfectants in healthcare settings. Of the many disinfectants approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for use against COVID-19, over half contain QACs as the active ingredient. In fact, since the pandemic began, studies have found increased indoor exposure to QAC compounds. While they historically were considered safe, recent studies have suggested that QAC-containing disinfectants may have teratogenic effects, and may also impair reproductive and immune functions secondary to the synergism of two or more QACs in the newer disinfecting products. These effects may be mediated by decreased mitochondrial function and impaired sterol

This research is IRB exempt and was funded in part by VCOM.

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