HOSPITAL-ACQUIRED INFECTIONS: THE PROBLEM
Hospital-acquired infections (HAl) are a major healthcare challenge and the trend continues upward despite implementation of rigorous hand-washing protocols, application of antimicrobial disinfectants to acute care hospital surfaces, and judicious decrease in antibiotic usage. Direct hand-to-surface contact is the most important contributing factor for HAl; too many hospital staff and visitors touch too many hospital surfaces and then touch and contaminate susceptible patients (1).
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that HAl directly contributed to 75,000 patient deaths in United States acute care hospitals in 2011, 90,000 patient deaths in 2012, 08,000 patient deaths in 2013, and 124,000 patient deaths in 2014, a 64 per cent increase over a span of four years. Hospitalized patients surviving HAl in 2011 numbered approximately 47,000, experiencing prolonged hospital stay” possible surgical intervention (especially on infected surgical wounds), possible permanent impairment (especially pulmonary, associated with post-pneumonia scarring), and physical and emotional suffering.
On a daily basis, at least one in 25 patients admitted to acute care hospitals in 2011 became infected by a microorganism not present on admission to the hospital. The hospital environment favors HAl. The patients are older, sicker, and many are compromised by impaired immune self-defense capacity, reside in a critical care unit, and experience prolonged hospital stay. The overwhelming majority of HAl are caused by bacteria, with lesser numbers of viral and fungal organisms. The most frequent bacterial HAl include, in descending order of frequency, pneumonia, surgical wound infection, gastrointestinal infection, urinary tract infection, blood stream infection, medical device and invasive procedure-related infection. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are “enemy number one” for hospitalized, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA}, Clostridium difficile (C-diff}, vancomycin -resistant Enterococcus, and carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae/ E.coli and Klebsiella( CRE}. When exposed to usual and customary “chemical kill” antimicrobial agents, bacteria may undergo genetic mutation by altering their DNA as a self defense strategy, transforming themselves to adaptive antibiotic-resistant “superbugs”, reminiscent of Darwin’s survival of the fittest.
Current acute care hospital cleaning practices include rigorous hand washing protocols,and regular hospital surface cleaning with disinfectants. Two medical peer reviewed articles in the American Journal of Infection Control reveal that, in more than 50 per cent of the time, hospital surfaces are not adequately cleaned and may be re-contaminated by microorganisms in minutes to a few hours.
PRO-TECHS: THE SOLUTION
PRO-TECHS spray application to hospital surfaces forms a strong, highly durable shield barrier that provides microorganism-free protection for nine to 12 months on hard surfaces such as plastic, metal, wood, granite, marble, composites, etc. and provides permanent protection with a single application on soft surfaces such as privacy curtains, bed sheets, pillow cases, blankets, carpets etc. for the life of the fabric. PRO-TECHS antimicrobial activity is not compromised by application of cleaning agents and not compromised by continuous use of the surface.
SAFETY FEATURES: PRO-TECHS
is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as safe, non-polluting, non-toxic, biodegradable, and environmentally”green”. When applied to a surface, it is accepted by the United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as “food grade clean”. If exposed to the skin, PRO-TECHS is not absorbed, is non-toxic, non-irritating and non-allergenic. When applied to any hospital surface, PRO-TECHS is colorless, odorless, and does not change the surface appearance or texture.
EFFICACY: PRO-TECHS
kills all known bacteria, including all antibiotic-resistant “superbug” species, all known viruses, including Influenza A and B, HIV, Herpesvirus, Ebola virus, and Rhinovirus (common cold), and all known fungal organisms, including Candida, Aspergillus, Mucor and Dermatophytes, including ringworm.
NON-LEACHING: PRO-TECHS
is non-leaching, ie. does not dissolve or diffuse into the environment, thus maintaining the protective shield “kill dose” concentration at an effective level.
PHYSICAL KILL MECHANISM: PRO-TECHS “kill mechanism” is physical, with electrocution of microorganisms at the molecular level. Electrocution results in instantaneous microbe cell death. Unlike “chemical kill” antimicrobial agents, PRO-TECHS does not provide an environment for antibiotic-resistant “superbug transformation. With PRO-TECHS electrical kill mechanism, there is no transfer of energy, thus the process continues to work indefinitely at full strength.
SUMMARY OF PRO-TECHS FEATURES
- High safety index.
- Broad spectrum efficacy.
- Durable protective shield on all surfaces.
- Kill capacity is not compromised by surface cleaning or continuous surface use.
- Instantaneous physical kill of microorganisms by electrocution at the molecular level, precludes antibiotic-resistant adaptive “superbug “transformation.
- Contains no heavy metals.
- Water-based, easy to apply.
- PRO-TECHS is cost-effective
REFERENCES
1. Weber, OJ et al. The role of the surface environment in healthcare-associated infections. Infectious Disease 2013; 26: 338-344.
2. Attaway HA et al. Intrinsic bacterial burden associated with ICU hospital beds; effects of disinfection on population recovery and migration of potential
infection risk. American Journal of Infection Control 2013; 40: 907-912.
3. Carling, PC et al. Evaluating hygiene cleaning in healthcare settings: what you do not know can harm your patients. American journal of Infection Control 2010; 38: 541-550.
Sanford P. Benjamin, MD.
Medical Director
American Antimicrobial Incorporated
[email protected]
