Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), many of which are caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, impact one in 25 patients – approximately 722,000 people – and cost the industry between $36 and $45 billion each year. Health systems also need to work to avoid ACA provisions that financially penalize hospitals with high infection rates. Additionally, many states have legislation that mandates public reporting of HAIs, which can and has impacted patient decisions through tools like Medicare's "Hospital Compare."
Efforts by the CDC and other world health organizations have helped to educate the public on the dangers of HAIs, and progress has been made to combat these preventable infections. But despite these slight reductions, the healthcare industry has a long way to go to eliminate HAIs all together, which is the ultimate goal set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The stakes have never been higher for prevention.
Why Traditional Infection Prevention Isn't Enough
The spread of many HAIs occur through skin-to-skin or skin-to-surface contact. In the healthcare setting, surgical sites and devices such as catheters, endoscopes, ventilators and orthopedic implants are major conduits. Common items like doorknobs, bedrails, tables and keyboards also pose risks. So with traditional infection-prevention tactics in place, why isn't the healthcare industry closer to a zero rate for HAIs? It's because most hospitals are not adequately complying with HAI guidelines.
In fact, less than 40 percent of U.S. hospitals are in full compliance. For example, 60 percent of healthcare personnel do not regularly adhere to basic hand hygiene. High turnover rates for contracted environmental service crews often result in subpar disinfection of patient rooms. And insufficient infection-control infrastructures in non-acute care settings have also allowed for major lapses.
In order to further drive down the rates of HAIs, healthcare organizations have to adopt broader infection-prevention strategies that not only include following guidelines and changing staff behaviors, but also adopting innovative technology to prevent microbial growth and cross-contamination on critical surfaces within the healthcare system.
Antimicrobial-Treated Medical Devices and Surfaces
When incorporated into a broad infection-prevention plan, antimicrobial-treated medical devices and environmental surfaces can play a key role the elimination of HAIs.
Surfaces in the healthcare setting, from catheters to bedrails, serve as transfer sites and breeding grounds for microorganisms that cause HAIs. If these surfaces can be protected against these organisms, patients are in turn protected. And embedded antimicrobials do just that.
Several of today's antimicrobial technologies, which are increasingly leveraged by medical-device manufactures and other healthcare suppliers, have clinical data that proves their efficacy in eliminating dangerous organisms. Certain technologies are proven to be effective against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, including hard-to-kill drug-resistant strains like MRSA and CRE.
A Closer Look at Antimicrobials
While hospitals rarely, if ever, source antimicrobials themselves, they need to be aware of the available technologies employed by the manufacturers and vendors of products that enter their facilities.
At a high level, antimicrobial technologies can be divided into two categories: "Naturally Occurring" and "Synthetic Chemicals." Naturally occurring antimicrobials include silver and copper, two of the most highly effective antimicrobial metals. Synthetic chemicals include biguanides, triclosan and other synthesized materials.
Today, the most impactful way to incorporate antimicrobials is by embedding them into the surface of products. Often referred to as "smart technologies," some antimicrobials work through the controlled release of elemental ions, which attack microbes and inhibit their growth. These wide-spectrum, high-kill technologies are also long lasting (up to years depending on the end-use environment) because they only activate in the presence of moisture, when conditions are ideal for microbial growth.
High Stakes for Healthcare
Of those hundreds of thousands of patients infected with HAIs each year, 75,000 of them die. This is a number far too high for infections that are highly preventable. And while patient safety is always the top priority, increased regulation and more consumer choices can create devastating financial implications for hospitals with high HAI rates.
As part of a broad infection-prevention plan, many health systems are looking toward antimicrobials as a second line of defense. By evaluating vendors and identifying those employing antimicrobials within their products, hospitals can adopt yet another initiative that will get the entire healthcare industry closer to eliminating HAIs for good.
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