Why Antimicrobial Surfaces are needed:
- Hospital acquired infections cause 100,000 deaths per year. (Source: Klevens R.M., Edwards J.R., Richards C.L., Horan T.C., Gaynes R.P., Pollack D.A., & Cardo D.M., Estimating Health Care-Associated Infections and Deaths in U.S. Hospitals, 2002. Public Health Reports. 2007; 122: 160-6)
- Hospital acquired infections cost the healthcare industry $45 billion annually. (Source: March 2009 publication The Direct Medical Costs of Healthcare-Associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals and the Benefits of Prevention, Author is R. Douglas Scott II; and it comes from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
- 80 percent of transmitted diseases are transmitted by touch. (Source: Secret Lives of Germs by P. Tierno, Atria Books, N.Y.)
CBS News report on “Superbugs”, another reason microbial surfaces are needed.
1. Guidelines for the control and prevention of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in healthcare facilities.
2. How long do nosocomial pathogens persist on inanimate surfaces? A systematic review.
3. Invasive Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in the United States.
4. Systematic review of economic analyses of health care-associated infections
5. Prevention of hospital-acquired infections: Review of non-pharmacological interventions.
6. The Direct Medical Costs of Healthcare-Associated Infections in U.S. Hospitals & the Benefits of Preventions.
7. Health Care Costs and Mortality Associated with Nosocomial Diarrhea Due to Clostridium difficile.