Background
Cleaning and disinfecting fomites can effectively remove/kill pathogens on surfaces,
but studies have shown that more than one-half the time, surfaces are not adequately
cleaned or are recontaminated within minutes. This study evaluated a product designed
to create a long-lasting surface coating that provides continuous disinfecting action.
Methods
This study was performed in an intensive care unit (ICU) in a major hospital. Various
sites within the ICU were cultured before treatment and then at 1, 2, 4, 8, and 15 weeks
after application of an antimicrobial coating. Samples were cultured for total bacteria,
as well as Clostridium difficile, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant enterococcus, and carbapenemase-resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
Results
The average bacterial count on all treated surfaces was reduced by >99% (2 logs) for
at least 8 weeks after treatment. Overall, average levels of bacteria never returned
to those observed before treatment even after 15 weeks. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria
were found on 25% of the sites tested before treatment, but were isolated at only
1 site during the 15 weeks after treatment.
Conclusions
The product assessed in this study was found to have persisted over 15 weeks in reducing
the total number of bacteria and antibiotic resistant bacteria on surfaces within
an ICU.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
This project was supported by Allied BioScience through funding supplied to the University of Arizona.
Conflict of interest: None to report.
Identification
Copyright
© 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
