Copper--a weapon in the war on pathogens

The bacteria responsible for healthcare-associated infections can survive for anything from days to weeks on the fabricated surfaces, typically made from stainless steel and polymeric materials, that surround patients in our hospitals. Here Angela Vessey, director of the Copper Development Association (CDA) in the UK, describes some of the latest evidence from installations and studies worldwide of how using anti-microbial copper for common hospital items and surfaces can help to reduce environmental contamination, and thus lower healthcare-acquired infection rates.