Copper Surfaces in ICU Rooms Slash Hospital-Acquired Infections : Family Practice News.
Although copper is not officially considered a precious metal, its antimicrobial properties suggest it may be priceless in the fight against the growing threat of hospital-acquired infections, according to new data presented at the annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. Previously shown to reduce the environmental bioburden when placed into medical intensive care unit (MICU) patient rooms, copper surfaces significantly reduced the acquisition rate of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococcus relative to standard-material surfaces in a randomized controlled trial. The study compared the effect of both types of surfaces on the rates of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) in 564 medical intensive care unit patients, reported Dr. Cassandra Salgado of the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston.
