3 Ways Antimicrobial Surfaces Support The Work Of Clinicians
Antimicrobial surfaces prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria by disrupting them at a cellular level.
When germs land on a surface with antimicrobial protection, the antimicrobial ingredient within the surface breaks down the infectious cells. The germs then die and are unable to reproduce.
In hospitals and care homes, this provides a reliable, passive form of protection. While clinicians continue to go about their infection control procedures in the usual way, antimicrobial surfaces continue to work in the background – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week – to destroy dangerous pathogens.
It will come as no surprise that patients who are kept safe from viruses and bacteria are far more likely to thrive. However, it’s not just patients who benefit; clinicians also gain an advantage when antimicrobial protection is used as part of their facility’s infection control armoury.
Here’s three ways that clinicians can leverage the assistance of antimicrobial surfaces and increase the efficiency of their role.
1. Improved patient health
How is the health of others a benefit to clinicians? Namely because it reduces the strain on the facility as a whole.
Patients who become unwell with HCAIs while in hospital will require considerably more care, for longer – putting additional pressure on wards which may have otherwise experienced a more controlled workload.
By nature, infectious illnesses are a challenge to isolate. You’re unlikely to have just one patient who is very unwell – once an HCAI begins to circulate, it can soon rule an entire ward. As beds fill up, patient distress will rise, with a rapid decline in health also preventing patients being discharged in a timely manner.
Clinicians will soon find themselves under unmanageable pressure if germs are not destroyed before they have a chance to spread.
When antimicrobial surfaces help to prevent the spread of dangerous viruses and bacteria, the improved health of patients is of benefit to everyone in the facility, including those who care for them.
2. Safer working environments
Of course, it isn’t just patients that are at risk of catching HCAIs. Clinicians, despite their impressive skill sets, cannot claim to be invincible.
When medical staff come to work in a facility where bacteria is rife, they are at far greater risk of falling ill themselves.
This daily gamble is devastating to wellbeing. If the threat of infection seems unescapable, the anxiety of clinicians will dramatically increase.
However, there is a panacea – when facilities are equipped with antimicrobial protection, clinicians feel significantly more at ease.
Items that medical staff must frequently engage with – such as touchscreen technology – can be armed with an antimicrobial coating to prevent cross-contamination, as well as many other touchpoints, too. This creates a far safer environment for clinicians, allowing them to go about their daily tasks with confidence.
3. Saving time
Antimicrobial protection isn’t a replacement for thorough surface cleaning. However, it’s extremely effective in creating an additional layer of defence that is continuously active.
This powerful supplement to a regular cleaning regime will reduce the need for time-consuming ‘deep cleans’, as the overall prevalence of infections will be reduced.
Outbreaks are always labour-intensive for clinicians and so, by employing antimicrobial coatings to prevent them, clinicians will find themselves better equipped to invest time where they really want to be – at the bedside of patients.
Watch the video below to learn more about antimicrobial protection and how it prevents the spread of illness.
Which antimicrobial protection should you use?
Antimicrobial protection is truly an innovation that gives time back to care. To reap the benefits, you must first decide which kind of antimicrobial surfaces would be best for your facility – coated or embedded.
An antimicrobial coating system such as Hygenex® Recoat® is an extremely versatile solution.
This simple, spray formulation can be used to protect countless touch points including door handles, light switches and screens. Better yet, the antimicrobial coating will last up to six months, with its presence identified by a UV light for ultimate peace of mind.
On average, a single bottle of Hygenex Recoat Antimicrobial Protector will cover 200-300 door handles and around 500 light switches, meaning that just a little can go a very long way.
Surfaces which contain embedded antimicrobial protection, such as MicrobeSafe+, are an ideal solution for capital equipment – particularly in sluice rooms, where the risk of cross-contamination can be high.
MicrobeSafe+ features on all DDC Dolphin pulp macerators and washer disinfectors produced since 2019.
Not only do surfaces embedded with MicrobeSafe+ have protection against an increased number of pathogens (including E. coli), they also contain a fungicide to combat mould. It’s extremely durable, too - users can expect up to eight years of unwavering antimicrobial performance.
Your facility needs antimicrobial protection.
Don’t let your hard-working clinicians and vulnerable patients become exposed to infections that you could have the power to prevent.
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