Stopping infections at source: Exploring the characteristics of effective nasal and skin decontamination
Eleonora Iervella, Surgical Pathway Infection Prevention and Control Nurse at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Dr Nicolas Loebel, President and Chief Technology Officer at Ondine Biomedical will explore what effective nasal and skin decontamination looks like in real world healthcare settings.
Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) remain a persistent challenge for healthcare systems worldwide. Increasing evidence suggests that the nose and skin act as upstream drivers of infection risk, contributing to surgical site infections and other HCAIs even where standard infection prevention measures are in place.
Combining scientific evidence with practical NHS experience, the session will examine how innovative technologies and approaches to decontamination are being integrated into infection prevention pathways to help stop infections at the source.
Date: Tuesday, 2 June 2026
Time: 15:00 – 16:00
Webinar link: Join here
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The webinar will examine:
- The role of nasal and skin colonisation in driving infection risk
- The characteristics required for effective nasal and skin decontamination
- Practical considerations including usability, workflow integration and staff compliance
- How innovative approaches, including light-activated antimicrobial technologies, are being applied within NHS settings
- Why only certain approaches may be capable of delivering reliable and scalable impact in healthcare environments
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Learning objectives
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- Assess the limitations of conventional infection prevention measures when infection is not addressed at the source
- Identify the characteristics required for effective nasal and skin decontamination in real-world clinical settings
- Recognise how effective nasal and skin decontamination approaches can strengthen infection prevention pathways in clinical practice
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Recommended attendees:
- Infection prevention and control specialists
- Surgeons and surgical teams
- Perioperative and theatre nurses
- Infection control nurses and practitioners
- Operating theatre and clinical support teams
- Trainee healthcare professionals
Speakers
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Eleonora Iervella
Eleonora Iervella is a Surgical Pathway Infection Prevention and Control Nurse and Senior Cardiothoracic Theatre Practitioner at Royal Papworth Hospital, Cambridge.
She has extensive experience in infection prevention practices and provides practical insight into approaches used within clinical settings for effective nasal and skin decontamination.
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Dr Nicolas Loebel
Dr Nicolas Loebel is President and Chief Technology Officer at Ondine Biomedical, where he leads research and development of light-activated antimicrobial technologies.
With extensive experience in medical device innovation and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, he has authored numerous publications and patents and lectures internationally on the clinical applications of photodisinfection.