Opinion: Better safe than sorry

Published: 23-Sep-2011

It is no use, the saying goes, shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Nowhere is this admonition more appropriate than in today’s hospitals.

It is no use, the saying goes, shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted. Nowhere is this admonition more appropriate than in today’s hospitals.

The WHO puts the direct cost of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in Europe alone at some €7bn a year – a sum that could be much better spent on direct patient care.

Although HAIs may not be hitting the headlines as often as they did a few years ago, the problem has not gone away. When outbreaks were at their peak, the emphasis among healthcare providers was, naturally, on remedial action: containing the outbreak, thoroughly cleaning the affected areas and taking steps to prevent a recurrence.

But now attention seems to be turning more to prevention rather than cure.

Traditional materials, such as copper and silver, have long been known for their antibacterial qualities, and there has been a sharp upturn in the use of these materials in healthcare facilities. No longer is copper being used in the most obvious applications, such as door plates and light switches, it is now spreading to other commonly handled items, including bed rails, tray edges and even pens.

Meanwhile polymer scientists are also making their mark with advanced antibacterial compounds that can be widely used in the very fabric of the building.

The financial motive for reducing HAIs is there, and so are the means and the opportunity; what is needed now is a concerted effort of will to make it happen.

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