Tests emphasise need for hygiene vigilance

Link: Tests emphasise need for hygiene vigilance.

      The data shows that an application of TECare reduces the RLU count of a swab taken of an area of contact for members of the public, for clients of health and social care services and for the providers of those care services. RLU counts can be shown to translate directly into microbial contamination levels.5-8 The organisms studied here will be mostly harmless community-encountered bacteria but could include the vectors of wound sepsis, gas gangrene or gastrointestinal or respiratory infection. According to pass/fail levels agreed prior to the evaluation (see Table 1), the levels of reduction achieved were equivalent to those thought to be obtained by autoclaving. The level of sanitisation persisted, despite potential re-contamination through normal day-to-day use, for three to five weeks after application demonstrating the residual antimicrobial properties of TECare on treated surfaces. The levels appear to remain lower for longer periods after subsequent applications. TECare therefore represents an invaluable but inexpensive surface treatment which can keep health and social care locations as free from infective agents as can be achieved with destructive, toxic or harmful agents but for longer than those agents could be expected to be effective.