For healthcare professionals concerned with eliminating bacteria* that cause infections, MicroGuard™ touch surfaces should certainly be a component of a multi-faceted infection prevention approach. Safe to use, MicroGuard surfaces continuously reduce microbial burden* even after wet and dry recontamination. MicroGuard surfaces reduce contamination in between routine cleaning.

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

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

The CDC estimates that 80% of infections are transmitted by touch. Infectious bacteria* can be found on many types of hospital surfaces even after cleaning. Research shows that even the best cleaning and disinfection efforts do not always reduce the microbial burden to benign levels. Our hands are like Velcro; picking up and depositing pathogens each time something is touched. Microorganisms are transferred from touch surfaces to patients and healthcare workers and back to touch surfaces.

Proven in laboratory tests to kill 99.9% of harmful bacteria* including MRSA and VRE, MicroGuard touch surfaces such as bed rails, intravenous stands, door handles, and over-bed tables reduce the amount of infection-causing bacteria* in patient rooms and continue to reduce microbial burden* in between routine cleaning.

MicroGuard antimicrobial copper alloys and component hardware significantly reduce microbial burden, 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, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE).