Copper Coatings Hold Promise for Antimicrobial Surfaces - Posted 1/2/08
The Copper Development Association has been awarded congressionally appropriated funds to continue clinical trails determining the antimicrobial effectiveness of copper, brass and bronze. Of the two studies funded by these appropriations, one is focused on the ability of copper alloy surfaces to kill deadly pathogens and impede cross-contamination. The monies will be used to complete the pilot conversion of touch surfaces in healthcare facilities in New York City and Charleston, SC, where extensive clinical trials have begun.
The Copper Development Association has been awarded congressionally appropriated funds to continue clinical trails determining the antimicrobial effectiveness of copper, brass and bronze.
Of the two studies funded by these appropriations, one is focused on the ability of copper alloy surfaces to kill deadly pathogens and impede cross-contamination. The monies will be used to complete the pilot conversion of touch surfaces in healthcare facilities in New York City and Charleston, SC, where extensive clinical trials have begun.
The other, which follows the same premise, is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper components in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in reducing the incidence of harmful microbes that spread throughout buildings and other indoor air environments.
According to Dr. Harold Michels, vice president of Technical and Information Services for CDA and the studies’ principal investigator, “This decision allows the trials to move into the next, critical phase of study. We fully expect our work will demonstrate that the utilization of antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces will be an effective weapon in the battle against hospital- and community-acquired infections and, when used in conjunction with good clinical hygiene, will help greatly to reduce the spread of certain virulent, antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli O157:H7.”
The clinical trials follow peer-reviewed research conducted at the University of Southampton in the U.K. proving that copper, brass and bronze can quickly and efficiently eradicate several different pathogens that are the source of many hospital-acquired infections. Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that infections acquired in U.S. hospitals affect some two million individuals every year, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths annually and costing the healthcare industry some $30 billion. It is widely believed those numbers will grow, unless more effective measures are implemented.
The touch surfaces trials will determine how well natural copper, brass and bronze surfaces mitigate infectious microbes, decrease cross-contamination and ultimately help reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in patients. Rates of infection are being measured using three indicator organisms: MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii. The surfaces involved in the study are typically made of coated carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel or plastic, which have little or no effect in controlling pathogens.
The studies are being conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medial Center, both in Charleston, SC. Previous studies were conducted by ATS Labs in Eagan, Minnesota, under test protocols established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They show solid copper alloys are more than 99.9% effective on five pathogens commonly found in healthcare facilities. The tests have been submitted to EPA as part of a registration process to secure approval for making human health claims for the copper metals.
For more information, visit www.copper.org.
The Copper Development Association has been awarded congressionally appropriated funds to continue clinical trails determining the antimicrobial effectiveness of copper, brass and bronze.
Of the two studies funded by these appropriations, one is focused on the ability of copper alloy surfaces to kill deadly pathogens and impede cross-contamination. The monies will be used to complete the pilot conversion of touch surfaces in healthcare facilities in New York City and Charleston, SC, where extensive clinical trials have begun.
The other, which follows the same premise, is designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of copper components in heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in reducing the incidence of harmful microbes that spread throughout buildings and other indoor air environments.
According to Dr. Harold Michels, vice president of Technical and Information Services for CDA and the studies’ principal investigator, “This decision allows the trials to move into the next, critical phase of study. We fully expect our work will demonstrate that the utilization of antimicrobial copper alloy surfaces will be an effective weapon in the battle against hospital- and community-acquired infections and, when used in conjunction with good clinical hygiene, will help greatly to reduce the spread of certain virulent, antibiotic-resistant pathogens, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli O157:H7.”
The clinical trials follow peer-reviewed research conducted at the University of Southampton in the U.K. proving that copper, brass and bronze can quickly and efficiently eradicate several different pathogens that are the source of many hospital-acquired infections. Estimates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that infections acquired in U.S. hospitals affect some two million individuals every year, resulting in nearly 100,000 deaths annually and costing the healthcare industry some $30 billion. It is widely believed those numbers will grow, unless more effective measures are implemented.
The touch surfaces trials will determine how well natural copper, brass and bronze surfaces mitigate infectious microbes, decrease cross-contamination and ultimately help reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections in patients. Rates of infection are being measured using three indicator organisms: MRSA, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci (VRE) and Acinetobacter baumannii. The surfaces involved in the study are typically made of coated carbon steel, aluminum, stainless steel or plastic, which have little or no effect in controlling pathogens.
The studies are being conducted at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medial Center, both in Charleston, SC. Previous studies were conducted by ATS Labs in Eagan, Minnesota, under test protocols established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. They show solid copper alloys are more than 99.9% effective on five pathogens commonly found in healthcare facilities. The tests have been submitted to EPA as part of a registration process to secure approval for making human health claims for the copper metals.
For more information, visit www.copper.org.
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