Reuters reports that, according to a study presented at the 51st Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, hospital privacy curtains may often be contaminated with possibly hazardous bacteria. Researchers found that, of the 43 curtains tested, 41 were found to be contaminated. The investigators found that the curtains tested positive for things like MRSA and different types of Enterococci.
Copper sheathing on bed rails may curb hospital bugs. MedPage Today reports, “Copper sheathing on bed rails and intensive daily cleaning of hospital patients’ rooms were effective in reducing bacterial contamination on ‘high-touch’ surfaces, according to studies presented” at the Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy (ICAAC). Investigators “at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston…found that bacterial loads were substantially lower on bed rails sheathed in a copper alloy, relative to conventional plastic rails, and rebounded more slowly after disinfectant treatment.”
From the American Association for Justice news release.
