COPPER SURFACES GREATLY REDUCE THE RATE OF INFECTIONS IN THE HOSPITAL

 

photo: Gennadiy Poznyakov/Fotolia

One of the problems that has dogged hospitals and their intensive care units is the proliferation of bacteria which can then infect patients during surgery.

These nosocomial infections account for a staggering 45$ billion dollars in costs and 100,000 deaths. And many of these pathogens are becoming methycillin resistant and otherwise hard to treat.

But a new study has shown that copper surfaces greatly inhibit the growth and proliferation of bacteria, making it one of the best materials for both surfaces and instruments in the hospital.

Copper in fact, has been shown to possess germ inhibiting qualities that are continuous.  

The study was conducted in three different hospitals in South Carolina.  In these hospitals patient were monitored in environments that were copper free and in environments where commonly touched surfaces had been cast from copper.  Both environments were cleaned in the same way with the same substances, and then tested for bacterial count.

The data tallied in the study showed that the patients in copper clad environments were becoming infected with MRSA (methycillin resistant Staphilococcus aureus) or VRE (Vancomycin resistant Enterococcus), at about half the rate of the patients who were in copper free environments.  For HAI (nosocomial infections) in general the percentage was even lower: 3.4% compared to 8.1%.

Most previously used devices such as ultraviolet light to disinfect objects or surfaces failed to prevent regrowth, whereas copper's protection was continuous so that no intervention was needed to inhibit regrowth.  This promises to both aide the patient's recovery and reduce costs of healthcare.

Source: Science daily 4.11.13