Potential of copper alloys to kill bacteria and reduce hospital infection rates
Abstract
A large body of peer-reviewed literature has demonstrated in laboratory testing that placing bacteria in a highly concentrated bacterial inoculum onto copper alloy surfaces results in their rapid death. A smaller but convincing number of studies indicate that bacteria die on the surfaces of hospital room components made from copper alloys. Will the ability of copper alloys to kill bacteria translate into an ability to reduce the rate of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs)? This review addresses this question. In particular, the results of a clinical trial in which HAI rates are significantly reduced after introducing copper alloys components into Intensive Care Units of three hospitals will be presented. The findings suggest that copper alloys enhance hospital hygiene protocols because they act passively 24/7/365 requiring neither training nor human intervention to kill bacteria and reduce hospital-acquired infections.
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18103/imr.v3i3.363
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