Nanosilver/DCOIT-containing surface coating effectively and constantly reduces microbial load in emergency room...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Infectious Disease Control
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Hospital surface contamination is a primary source of healthcare-associated infections.
• Current disinfection methods provide only temporary pathogen reduction.
• A need exists for sustained antimicrobial surface solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a new antimicrobial coating with nanosilver for long-term bacterial reduction on hospital surfaces.
• To assess the coating's efficacy in bridging the gap between standard disinfection cycles.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, double-blinded trial comparing a nanosilver/DCOIT-coated surface (NCS) with a control coating.
• Daily bacterial sampling of frequently touched surfaces over 90 days.
• Analysis of total microbial counts and species identification.

Main Results:

• The NCS significantly reduced overall bacterial load (median 0.31 cfu/cm² vs. 0.69 cfu/cm²).
• The coating decreased the risk of critical bacterial load (>5 cfu/cm²) by 60%.
• No significant difference in bacterial species distribution was observed between groups.

Conclusions:

• The nanosilver/DCOIT coating demonstrates sustained efficacy in reducing bacterial contamination on clinical surfaces.
• This antimicrobial surface technology offers a promising strategy for enhanced infection control in healthcare settings.