Infection prevention and control
environmental contamination to risk of infection, 89% of infections were in rooms with bioburden levels of >5 cfu/cm2
–
irrespective of whether they were the copper or control rooms. “We feel our approach is novel and the
implications far-reaching,” Dr Salgado et al state in the paper. “Previous attempts to reduce healthcare-associated infections have required healthcare worker engagement. In contrast, copper alloy surfaces offer a passive way to reduce burden.” “Additionally,” the researchers note,
“because the antimicrobial effect is a continuous property of copper, rapid regrowth of microbes is mitigated. Importantly, in this study copper surfaces were shown to work in tandem with standard infection prevention practices to significantly reduce burden and healthcare-associated infections.”
Bed rails: contamination hotspots This augmentation is further highlighted in another paper, appearing in the same publication, focusing on bed rails, highlighted in the main study6
as
one of the most contaminated near patient surfaces, with average levels of 17,336 cfu /100 cm2
.
Led by Dr Michael Schmidt, Professor and vice-chair of the Microbiology and
Antimicrobial copper IV drip poles, bed rails, and an overbed table, from Greek supplier, CONVEX.
Immunology Department at MUSC, this study focused on comparing the bioburden levels and recontamination rates of plastic and copper bed rails in the medical ICU at MUSC.7 The study reported on the proportion
of copper and control bed rails meeting the proposed benchmark for bioburden where infectious risk to patients is low, of 2.5 cfu/cm2
.8 Plastic (control) and copper bed rails
were sampled immediately before cleaning (Time 0), and then at 30 minutes and 2.5, 4.5, and 6.5 hours, after cleaning. Samples were taken on five separate
occasions over a three-month period. Three patient-occupied beds with plastic rails (controls), and three with copper rails, were sampled on each occasion, resulting in the evaluation of 30 beds. Dr Schmidt reported that, during the
study, 77% of copper bed rails, and 45% of plastic rails, were below the critical threshold. Furthermore, the study suggested that, in order to keep the plastic rails below the threshold, they would need to be cleaned more frequently. “Bacteria responsible for many
healthcare-associated infections can survive for days, weeks, or months on hospital surfaces, in spite of the best efforts of the healthcare team to keep the bioburden within limits considered safe for patient care,” observed Dr Schmidt and his co-authors. “To keep the bioburden below the risk-based threshold, surfaces would require cleaning at enhanced intervals, and this would result in increased workload for healthcare workers and environmental services. “In concert with once-daily cleaning,
copper bed rails were routinely able to maintain a bioburden below a low-risk threshold for the entire shift.”
Economic assessment The unique benefit of antimicrobial copper is therefore its continuous nature; once installed, the surface will constantly
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HEJ0913
Health Estate Journal September 2013
67
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