For healthcare professionals concerned with eliminating bacteria* that cause infections, MicroGuard™ touch surfaces should certainly be a component of a multi-faceted prevention approach. MicroGuard surfaces continuously reduce bioload between routine cleaning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital-acquired infections affect 1.7 million people each year and cost over $28 billion. Over 99,000 people die annually from hospital-acquired infections.

As a result, many states have launched initiatives to require hospitals to begin reporting these events. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has announced that the agency will no longer pay for preventable medical errors such as certain types of hospital-acquired infections.

According to a telephone survey sponsored by the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, over 93% of respondents indicated that information on hospital-acquired infections, if available, would influence their selection of hospitals. The most common hospital-acquired infection is MRSA, which has more than tripled since 2000.

Proven in laboratory tests to kill 99.9% of harmful bacteria* including MRSA, MicroGuard touch surfaces such as bed rails, intravenous stands, door handles, over-bed tables and chair arms have the potential to reduce the amount of infection-causing bacteria* in patient rooms. MicroGuard antimicrobial copper alloys and component hardware are an excellent supplement to existing infection control measures, but do not necessarily prevent cross contamination. For more information on MicroGuard, please review our frequently asked questions section.

*Testing demonstrates effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.