The facility is the latest embodiment of Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust’s commitment to an outstanding record on healthcare associated infections. Dr John Barnes, lead consultant in intensive care and consultant anaesthetist, explained that the new unit “will provide a modern, patient-centred service and care to our most critically-ill patients, using the latest innovations in infection prevention and control.”
Also this month, the architectural ironmonger Allgood is the first to launch an Antimicrobial Copper Cu+ branded range of door furniture and bathroom fittings that offers the antimicrobial efficacy of copper and the aesthetic of stainless steel.
The Contego range of silver-coloured copper alloy is a world-first and bears the Cu+ mark of the Antimicrobial Copper brand, denoting they are made from the most effective touch surface material, proven to continuously kill the deadly microbes that cause healthcare associated infections, 24/7.
Frequently-touched surfaces, such as door handles and push plates, made from commonly used materials like stainless steel and plastics, can serve as reservoirs of infection. Microbes deposited upon them from contaminated hands can survive for days and months and be passed on to the next hand that touches them, whereas microbes such as MRSA and E. coli die rapidly on antimicrobial copper alloys, so using touch surfaces made from these materials can help break the chain of infection.
The ability of antimicrobial copper surfaces to effectively kill antibiotic-resistant organisms is the topic of a presentation at the first International Conference on Prevention & Infection Control, organised by the World Health Organization and to be held in Geneva from June 29th to July 2nd, 2011.
“Copper surfaces in the ICU reduced the relative risk of acquiring an infection while hospitalised” will be presented by Dr Michael Schmidt during the ‘Innovative Approaches to Infection Control’ session on July 1st at 13:00.
