INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL
Antimicrobial technologies redefining cleaning regimes
Jonathan Clapp, International senior technical manager at Microban International, looks at how antimicrobial technologies can be built into the various materials typically found in patient areas – including disposable privacy curtains, uniforms, and high-touch control panels – at the time of manufacture, complementing traditional cleaning in the fight against microbial growth and proliferation.
Healthcare environments are inevitably exposed to many different microorganisms, which can have negative repercussions for vulnerable patients, as well as causing premature deterioration and odours in frequently touched equipment. Regular cleaning and decontamination are essential to help reduce the bioburden of these microbes, but traditional disinfectants only offer limited residual activity once the surface dries, making them a ‘one-hit wonder’. In this article, we’ll take a look at how antimicrobial technologies can be built into the various materials typically found in patient areas during manufacture, complementing traditional cleaning in the fight against microbial growth and proliferation.
Surface cleaning and handwashing Programmes to control the spread of harmful microbes in healthcare facilities typically include thorough routine surface cleaning and handwashing practices, or simply using disposable equipment, but the direct patient environment is just as important for preventing the proliferation of these microorganisms. This extends right down to the furnishings, fabrics, and privacy curtains within each hospital cubicle or room. Inanimate surfaces can become soiled after contact with another contaminated surface, or from airborne sources, including nasal or respiratory droplets. Inadequate cleaning and sanitation can also allow microbes to adhere and thrive, leading to biofilm formation.
Complementary solutions for cleaner healthcare environments Typical disinfectants only kill microbes present on a surface at the time of cleaning, and have limited residual activity once the treated surface dries. This means that microbial populations quickly rebound to their initial levels within just a few hours after cleaning. In addition to normal cleaning practices, antimicrobial technologies can be incorporated
36 Health Estate Journal March 2023
into products during manufacture, providing long-lasting protection that continuously inhibits the growth of harmful microorganisms for the duration of a product’s useful lifetime. The antimicrobial treatment does not wash off, wear away, or leach out of the product, complementing traditional regular cleaning, and enhancing both its durability and serviceable lifespan. In fact, studies have shown that built-in antimicrobial treatments in healthcare equipment reduce the population of bacteria – such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), E. coli, and VRE – by up to 99.9%.1
These technologies can be
integrated into numerous high-touch surfaces in the direct patient environment, such as medical equipment, beds, uniforms, and control panels.
Issues with privacy curtains Much effort has been made within healthcare to minimise the spread of bacteria by managing their growth on
high-touch surfaces, including privacy curtains. Clinical curtains are designed to act as a physical and visual barrier, to give patients the privacy they need in a very public place. However, they are often touched by both patients and members of staff throughout the day, and thus do not stay fresh for long, and can quickly accumulate odours and unsightly stains. Additionally, privacy curtains may only be changed if they are visibly soiled, which can cause them to become a reservoir for microbes. As a case in point, one study found that 92% of hospital privacy curtains are contaminated with bacteria in less than a week of regular use.2
In
Single-use products or excessive laundering can help curb the issue, but this is impractical, expensive, and bad for the environment.
2002, an outbreak of multi-drug resistant Acinetobacter baumanii in an intensive care unit in Birmingham was directly linked to contaminated curtains and dry fabrics.3
Microbial control precautions in hospitals ‘need to consider every possible vector and reservoir of contamination’, Microban emphasises.
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