Loading ...SCHAUMBURG, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
The results are undeniable. A new clinical study investigating the bacteria-killing properties of copper has proven once again that the metal can play a leading role in fighting bacteria that cause healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The paper also reached a second finding destined to shake-up cleaning practices in the healthcare industry.
Published in the September 28, 2016, online edition of the American Journal of Infection Control and authored by Grinnell College associate professor of biology Shannon Hinsa-Leasure, Ph.D., the study is the first to show that surfaces in patient rooms quickly re-contaminate after terminal cleaning – even when the room is unoccupied. The paper also concluded that when surfaces in patient rooms are made of copper, bacterial loads do not rebound, whether the room is occupied or not.
Dr. Hinsa-Leasure’s study found that 93 percent of rooms at the Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC) that included copper surfaces remained at or near the recommended threshold for terminal cleaning (250 CFU/100 cm2). Only 49 percent of rooms without copper surfaces met that same threshold.
“Stainless steel, plastic and wood do not have the inherent bacteria fighting attributes of copper,” she said. “So even the most conscientious cleaning doesn’t do the job that copper does all on its own.” According to Hinsa-Leasure, the results demonstrate that the use of copper surfaces can protect patients from bacteria that lead to infections.
cont. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/study-confirms-copper-alloys-continuously-100000469.html