Antimicrobial coating is associated with significantly lower aerobic colony counts in high-touch areas in an orthopedic
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Annals of Clinical Microbiology and Antimicrobials Open Access
RESEARCH
Antimicrobial coating is associated with significantly lower aerobic colony counts in high‑touch areas in an orthopedic ward environment Lars Ejerhed1,2*, Leyla Roshani1 and Annette Erichsen Andersson2,3,4
Abstract Background: Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are the most common complication found in the hospital environment. The aim of the study was to examine whether the use of an antimicrobial coating in high-touch areas in an orthopedic ward could reduce bacterial growth and HAI. Methods: From December 2017 to February 2018, HAI were registered on two orthopedic wards. A second registration was performed from December 2018 to February 2019. On the second occasion, an antimicrobial organosilane coating was applied just before the study period and thereafter weekly on one ward, while the other ward served as a control. Twenty defined high-touch areas on each ward were cultured before treatment and after 1, 2, 4, 8, 12, 14 and 16 weeks. Samples were cultured for aerobic colony counts, Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli. Results: The total aerobic colony counts were 47% lower on the treated ward compared with the non-treated ward over the study period (p = 0.02). The colony counts for Staphylococcus aureus and E. coli were low on both wards. During the first registration period, the incidence of HAI was 22.7% and 20.0% on the non-treated and subsequently treated ward respectively. On the second occasion, after treatment, the incidence was 25.0% and 12.5% (treated ward) respectively (p = 0.0001). Conclusions: The use of a long-lasting antimicrobial organosilane coating appears to reduce the bioburden and reduce HAI. Since the incidence of HAI varies substantially over time, longer observation times are needed. Keywords: Antimicrobial surface coating, Organosilane, High touch areas, Aerobic colony count (ACC), Hospital acquired infections (HAI) Introduction Hospital acquired infections (HAI) are the most common complication found in the hospital environment and they result in significant patient morbidity and mortality. Despite careful hygiene routines and the more restrictive
*Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Research and Development, NU-Hospital Group, Trollhättan, Sweden Full list of author information is available at the end of the article
use of antibiotics, there is an increasing problem with serious infections and resistance to antibiotics. It has been proposed that an increased environmental bioburden on a ward could result in an increased HAI risk [1, 2]. The optimal manual cleaning process is yet to be found. Most cleaning methods and disinfectants have a good immediate effect, but the cleaned surfaces are quickly recontaminated [3, 4]. One important question is whether the current cleaning routines/disinfectants can be supplemented in order to reduce the bioburden. Antimicrobial surfaces in the form of metals, such as
© The Author(s) 2020. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution
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