Healthcare – reducing HCAIs Healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) are an international problem.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has estimated that 4.1 million patients each year suffer from at least one hospital acquired infection. In the US HCAIs account for an estimated 1.7 million infections and 99,000 associated deaths each year (Centers for Disease Control, 2007).
The control of HCAIs is a priority for care providers around the world. In the UK alone the Department of Health estimates it can cost between £4,000 and £10,000 more to treat a patient with a HCAI, due to extended hospital stays, hospital charges, greater medication and increased levels of care.
In the UK, the NHS is adopting a zero tolerance policy across all healthcare providers by employing a combination of strategies to tackle the problem. These include hand hygiene, cleaning, screening, employee and patient training and the adoption of new and proven technologies, such as BioCote®, to best achieve a reduction in HCAIs. Countries around the world are establishing their own means of infection control to reduce the risk of HCAIs. BioCote® protected products can be part of each solution, offering an additional level of protection.
The use of BioCote® protected products can complement existing infection prevention and control strategies to help provide cleaner and more hygienic healthcare environments. In a recent pilot trial at the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, BioCote® protected products were shown to harbour an average of 95% fewer bacteria on their surface than untreated items. BioCote® protected products are therefore proven to reduce bacterial contamination in healthcare environments, working in-between cleaning, 24 hours a day, to continually decontaminate surfaces.
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