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Study Finds Ionic Silver Treatment Decreases Microbial Contamination

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Experts say product decreases up to 100% of Staphylococcus aureus contamination

HAYWARD, Calif. — A peer-reviewed study titled “Reduction in bacterial contamination of hospital textiles by a novel silver-based laundry treatment” published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control(AJIC) found microbial contamination significantly decreased in healthcare textiles treated with SilvaClean®, says Applied Silver, maker of the product.

The study’s authors looked across three different community hospitals at the effectiveness of SilvaClean, an ionic silver antimicrobial applied to linens after each washing.

Addressing environmental cleanliness through textiles is a critical issue for hospitals, the company says. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are potentially lethal for patients and pose significant financial risks for hospitals.

According to a Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) report, HAIs kill nearly 200 people in the United States every day and affect 1 in 25 hospital patients. These numbers do not include infections acquired at skilled nursing, long-term acute care and outpatient surgery facilities.

Published research shows that 60% of hospital staff uniforms were colonized with potentially pathogenic bacteria, including drug-resistant organisms such as the superbugs Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE), and a separate published research paper shows 55% of clean bed linens were contaminated before contact with the patient. Contracting MRSA increases a patient’s chance of acquiring a staph infection within the following 12 months.

The new peer-reviewed study in AJIC compares SilvaClean-treated hospital sheets and patient gowns to untreated hospital sheets and patient gowns, both before and after patient use. The authors found that treating sheets and gowns with SilvaClean resulted in decreases in microbial contamination before patient use of 88% and 89% respectively.

SilvaClean was found to be persistent, reducing total bacterial counts by 30% on sheets and 45% on gowns after patients had used them. SilvaClean treatment of the textiles resulted in 100% decreases of Staphylococcus aureus on sheets and gowns before patient use and decreases after patient use of 74% on sheets and 89% gowns, the company says.

“The data confirms that SilvaClean is a leading technology for hospitals to help rapidly establish the cleanest possible environment and confidently maintain it over time,” says Bill Morris, co-founder and director of efficacy and chemistry at Applied Silver. “A cleaner environment is the essential platform that allows hospitals to meet stringent performance targets and offer the comfortable, low-risk bedside experience that patients now expect.”

Click here to read the original article.

SilvaClean-Healthcare-Providers-Infographic

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