BOSTON, July 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), also known as hospital-acquired infections, are a major problem healthcare systems face worldwide. Each year, millions of patients contract infectious diseases while in hospital. These HAIs not only lengthen hospital stays and utilize resources, such as hospital beds, but also have deadly consequences. While proper medical practices, such as good hand hygiene, can go a long way, there are additional tools that health systems can use to address this silent pandemic.
Antimicrobial technologies are additives and coatings that enable products to combat microorganisms effectively. These antimicrobial products not only protect themselves from the likes of bacteria and fungi, but they can also protect people. IDTechEx has recently published a market research report on the topic, ‘Antiviral and Antimicrobial Technology Market 2023-2033’, examining the technologies, applications, and drivers for the antimicrobial technology industry. One of the key motivations for companies interviewed by IDTechEx is the development of antimicrobial technology to address the problem of HAIs.
While antimicrobial technologies have been shown to be extremely efficient in laboratory settings, these often do not match real-life conditions. Field tests and clinical trials within hospitals are required to understand if antimicrobial technologies can truly lower the rate of HAIs.
Antimicrobial Surfaces
High-touch surfaces such as bed rails, buttons, and door handles have a high chance of harboring harmful microorganisms. Rather than creating new antimicrobial versions of these surfaces from scratch, spray-on antimicrobial coatings can be applied. Companies such as Goldshield and Dyphox have demonstrated in peer-reviewed journals that their antimicrobial spray coatings can reduce surface bioburden in hospitals. Goldshield has even demonstrated that this reduction in microorganisms on surfaces translates to decreased…
