The serious and growing problem of HAIs absorbs a significant part of health budgets
Hospital-acquired infections are complications which can occur as a result of medical treatment and procedures. They are caused by microorganisms, such as viruses and bacteria and in hospital settings are most commonly associated with wound infections, or as a result of the insertion of medical devices such as catheters or intravenous drips.
HAIs can occur in all care settings, not merely hospitals. For example, infections are prevalent in nursing homes and care facilities, doctors' surgeries, ambulances and emergency care vehicles, and other surgical centres.
All hospital patients are susceptible to infection although some have a greater risk than others, including the elderly, young children, and patients with compromised immune systems. Longer hospital stays, overprescribed or incorrectly administered antibiotics and the failure of infection control systems increase the risk of infection.
In American hospitals alone, the Centre for Disease Control has estimated that HAIs account for 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year.
The use of copper treatments has been proven to assist in the reduction and control of infection in medical settings.
SonoChem technology can play a key role in risk reduction strategies.
External Links
Review of Antimicrobial Resistance - Tackling drug-resistant infections globally
Review of Antimicrobial Resistance - Tackling drug-resistant infections globally
Review of Antimicrobial Resistance - Tackling drug-resistant infections globally
Report issued by the Review of Antimicrobial Resistance in relation to the growing international problem of drug resistant infections.
Health care-asssociated infections - an overview
Review of Antimicrobial Resistance - Tackling drug-resistant infections globally
Review of Antimicrobial Resistance - Tackling drug-resistant infections globally
Research conducted by the United States National Library of Medicine provides comprehensive information in relation to the prevalence of HAIs internationally.
Copper surfaces reduce the rate of health care-acquired infections in intensive care units
Copper surfaces reduce the rate of health care-acquired infections in intensive care units
Copper surfaces reduce the rate of health care-acquired infections in intensive care units
Research news article indicating that the placement of copper objects in intensive care hospital rooms reduced the number of healthcare-acquired infections in patients by more than half, according to a 2012 study published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.
Copper hospital beds kill bacteria, save lives - article
Copper surfaces reduce the rate of health care-acquired infections in intensive care units
Copper surfaces reduce the rate of health care-acquired infections in intensive care units
Press release issued by the American Society for Microbiology in relation to a study that found that copper hospital beds in intensive care units harboured 95 percent fewer bacteria than conventional hospital beds. SonoChem believes that copper-infused fabric used in the same units will offer significant health advantages over conventional fabric.