1. Nanosilver/DCOIT-containing surface coating effectively and constantly reduces microbial load in emergency room surfaces
- Author
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Weber, Johannes, Henssler, Leopold, Zeman, Florian, Pfeifer, Christian, Alt, Volker, Nerlich, Michael, Huber, M., Herbst, Tanja, Koller, M., Schneider-Brachert, Wulf, Kerschbaum, Maximilian, and Holzmann, T.
- Subjects
Microbiology (medical) ,Nanosilver, Antimicrobial surface, Surface coating, Infection prevention, Nosocomial infections, Emergency room ,ddc:610 ,Infectious Diseases ,610 Medizin ,General Medicine - Abstract
Background Colonization of near-patient surfaces in hospitals plays an important role as a source of healthcare-associated infections. Routine disinfection methods only result in short-term elimination of pathogens. Aim To investigate the efficiency of a newly developed antimicrobial coating containing nanosilver in long-term reduction of bacterial burden in hospital surfaces to close the gap between routine disinfection cycles. Methods In this prospective, double-blinded trial, frequently touched surfaces of a routinely used treatment room in an emergency unit of a level-I hospital were treated with a surface coating (nanosilver/DCOIT-coated surface, NCS) containing nanosilver particles and another organic biocidal agent (4,5-dichloro-2-octyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one, DCOIT), whereas surfaces of another room were treated with a coating missing both the nanosilver- and DCOIT-containing ingredient and served as control. Bacterial contamination of the surfaces was examined using contact plates and liquid-based swabs daily for a total trial duration of 90 days. After incubation, total microbial counts and species were assessed. Findings In a total of 2880 antimicrobial samples, a significant reduction of the overall bacterial load was observed in the NCS room (median: 0.31 cfu/cm2; interquartile range: 0.00–1.13) compared with the control coated surfaces (0.69 cfu/cm2; 0.06–2.00; P < 0.001). The nanosilver- and DCOIT-containing surface coating reduced the relative risk of a critical bacterial load (defined as >5 cfu/cm2) by 60% (odds ratio 0.38, P < 0.001). No significant difference in species distribution was detected between NCS and control group. Conclusion Nanosilver-/DCOIT-containing surface coating has shown efficiency for sustainable reduction of bacterial load of frequently touched surfaces in a clinical setting.
- Published
- 2023