Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, N.Y.

This hospital is one of the premier cancer centers in the world and is one of three hospitals involved in U.S. clinical trials assessing Antimicrobial Copper’s clinical efficacy.

This hospital is one of the premier cancer centers in the world and is one of three hospitals involved in U.S. clinical trials assessing Antimicrobial Copper's clinical 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 - The Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, S.C. 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 leader at this site is Kent Sepkowitz, M.D., who is the Director of Hospital Infection Control and Vice Chairman of Clinical Affairs. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a frequent contributor to professional journals.

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 begin soon and 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 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 program 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, 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 centimeters.

To view the U.S. Clinical Trail Poster, please click here.

A Different Way of Confronting the Problem

According to Dr. Sepkowitz, "We need to look at all different ways of confronting the problem [of hospital-acquired infections]." He believes that copper surfaces may prove to be a "passive way of helping control these organisms" and hopes that, if the trial successfully shows a clinical impact, people will "see this as a way to cut down on these [bacteria that cause] infections and adopt it as part of the solution." Dr. Sepkowitz mentions that while copper will not replace good hygiene practices, it may nevertheless help to reduce environmental bacterial contamination possibly causing hospital-acquired infection. (The Star Ledger, August 28, 2007)