Nosocomial infection and other hospital-acquired infections can be killed off by as much as up to 97 percent if antimicrobial copper surfaces are used in intensive care units (ICU).This is according to preliminary results of a multisite clinical trial in the United States. The results also showed a 40 percent reduction in the risk of acquiring an infection, Reuters reports.The study was presented at the World Health Organization's 1st International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday.It added weight to a suggestion made by research teams at three U.S. hospitals four years ago.The teams suggested replacing the most heavily contaminated touch surfaces in ICUs with antimicrobial copper will control bacteria growth and cut down on infection rates. The 97-percent reduction rate in bacteria on antimicrobial copper surfaces is the same as that achieved by "terminal" cleaning -- a process that is done after a patient leaves a room.
Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are the fourth leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease, strokes and cancer, Reuters reports.According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention estimates, nearly one in every 20 hospitalized U.S. patients acquires an HAI, resulting in 100,000 deaths each year. Dr. Michael Schmidt is a professor and vice chairman of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, who presented the results. He said, "Bacteria present on ICU room surfaces are probably responsible for up to 80 percent of patient infections, demonstrating how critical it is to keep hospitals clean.”"The copper objects used in the clinical trial lowered microbial levels and supplemented cleaning protocols,” Schmidt added, reports Reuters.