The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, USA

MUSC, a world-class medical centre and educational institution, is involved in the US clinical trials assessing Antimicrobial Copper’s clinical efficacy. Antimicrobial Copper touch surfaces have been installed in the 21-bed Intensive Care Unit. Installed surfaces include: nurses’ call devices, monitor bezels, bedrails, and more.

This hospital is one of the premier cancer centres in the world and is one of three hospitals involved in U.S. clinical trials assessing Antimicrobial Copper's efficacy. Antimicrobial copper touch surfaces have been installed in the 20-bed Intensive Care Unit. Installed surfaces include:  over-bed tray table, visitors' chair with Antimicrobial Copper arms, IV poles, and more.

As in the two other hospitals involved in the American clinical trials - Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY and The Ralph H. Johnson Veterans Administration Medical Center, Charleston, S.C. - researchers in this institution have replaced stainless steel, aluminum and plastic touch surfaces with Antimicrobial Copper. The surfaces replaced are those that testing has shown to be most heavily contaminated and, not surprisingly, are in closest proximity to patients and visitors.

The trial at this site is led by Dr Michael Schmidt, Professor and Vice Chair of the Microbiology and Immunology Department; Dr Cassandra Salgado, Associate Professor and Hospital Epidemiologist; and Dr Lisa Steed, Associate Professor and Director of Diagnostic Microbiology.

The trials are being executed in three stages. The first stage established the baseline microbial burden on frequently-touched objects in ICU rooms. The second stage, which has just been completed, compared the microbial burden on Antimicrobial Copper surfaces with the microbes found on  non-copper equivalent surfaces. The third stage will assess the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in ICU rooms with and without Antimicrobial Copper objects. The connection between contamination on frequently-touched surfaces and patient acquisition of infections also will be evaluated to determine if Antimicrobial Copper has a clinical benefit to patients.

Objects in Closest Proximity to Patients are Most Heavily Contaminated

Findings from the first stage of the programme show that the most heavily contaminated objects are those in closest proximity to the patients: bed rails, call buttons and chairs were found to have the highest levels of Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE).  These pathogens can survive for extended periods of time on such objects, which may act as reservoirs for the bacteria. The average microbial burden on objects was nearly 17,000 Colony Forming Units per 100 square centimetres.

Bacteria Present on Surfaces at Significant Levels Despite Routine Cleaning

According to Dr Schmidt, "Hospital-acquired infections are the dirty little secret of healthcare; bacteria are present at significant levels despite routine cleaning.  We have seen the antimicrobial action of copper in action.  It was able to substantially and continuously reduce the levels of microbes to concentrations well below those considered to represent a risk to patients.  Thus, we are anxiously awaiting the results of the clinical trial where we are asking whether or not the continuously acting antimicrobial properties of copper associated with the touch surfaces will improve the clinical outcome for our patients.