Assist in the fight to control Hospital Acquired Infections

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Assist in the fight to control Hospital Acquired
Infections

• How alternative construction materials allow
  Architects and Plant Engineers to help medical
  facilities control the spread of infection

Presented by Midbrook Medical
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Hospital Acquired Infection

• It is estimated that HAI costs to hospitals in
  the United States range from 5 to 10 Billion
  every year.
• Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), also known
  as health-careassociated infections, encompass
  almost all clinically evident infections that do
  not originate from a patient's original admitting
  diagnosis
• Infections are estimated to occur in 5 of all
  acute-care hospitalizations

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Causes of HAI

• There are three different main causes of HAIs
• Atrogenic risk factors include pathogens on
  the hands of medical personnel, invasive
  procedures (intubation and extended ventilation,
  indwelling vascular lines, urine
  catheterization), and antibiotic use and
  prophylaxis.
• Organizational risk factors include contaminated
  air-conditioning systems, contaminated water
  systems, microbial sustaining work surfaces,
  staffing and physical layout of the facility
  (nurse-to-patient ratio, open beds close
  together).
• Patient risk factors include the severity of
  illness, underlying immunocompromised state, and
  length of stay.

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Types of HAI

• Staph Staphylococcus Aureus
• Easily transmitted by touching infected surfaces
• The most common cause of Staph Infections
• MRSA Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus
  aureus
• Common in hospitals 10.1 infections per 100,000
  patients in 2005 (AMA 2007 Vol298 15)
• A strain of staph resistant to broad spectrum
  antibiotics
• C. difficile
• Bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from
  diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the
  colon
• Most commonly affects older adults in hospitals
  or long term care facilities

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Controlling Infection

• Replacing materials which easily harbor HAI can
  reduce the instances of infection in a hospital.
• New advances in technology have resulted in
  multiple alternatives to traditional surface
  materials.
• New materials actively fight infection.

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Particle Board

• Absorbs water easily
• Moisture causes warping
• Damaged surfaces can become breeding grounds for
  microbial growth

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Caulk Gaps
Standing Water
Damaged Plastic Laminate
Exposed Particle Board
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Board swollen and structurally unstable
Mold growth penetrating surface
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Exposed Particle Board in Work Environment
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Exposed Particle Board in Work Environment
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Proposal for Change

• Eliminate particle board under work surfaces
  counter tops in patient areas, sterile cores,
  support areas such as sterile processing prep,
  food service, equipment / supply support
• Eliminate Plastic Laminate Cabinets in patient
  areas, sterile cores, support areas such as
  sterile processing prep, food service,
  equipment / supply support

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Proposal for Change

• Eliminate porous materials such as surface
  substrate materials in patient areas, sterile
  cores, support areas such as sterile processing
  prep, food service, equipment / supply support
• Expand AIA Minimum Standards 2.1.A2 to include
  patient areas, sterile cores, support areas
  such as sterile processing prep, food service,
  equipment / supply support sterile cores.
  Current standards do not apply to these areas.

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Stainless Steel
Custom OR Cabinetry by Midbrook
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Stainless Steel

• Pros
• Non-porous
• Does not absorb moisture
• Cons
• Does act as anti-microbial agent
• Low sound absorption
• More difficult to clean

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Custom Stainless Steel Workstation
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Stainless Steel Cart
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Stainless Steel Table
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Corian Solid Surfaces
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Corian Solid Surfaces

• Pros
• Smooth, non-porous surface
• Does not absorb moisture
• Easy to clean
• Durable, easy to repair
• Cons
• Does not actively fight microbial growth

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Corian Scrub Sink
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Corian Countertops
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Survivability of Pathogens
Survival rates are dependent on type of surface,
environmental conditions, presence of biofilm,
and other factors.
Information provided by the DuPont Corporation
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Copper
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Copper

• Pros
• Fights microbial growth
• Is as easy to form and manufacture as stainless
  steel in custom fabrications
• Cons
• Depending on alloy ratio of copper to other
  metals, the copper may tarnish after long term
  exposure.

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Copper

• A clean copper surface is capable of killing
  99.9 of bacteria exposed to the surface within 2
  hours from time of initial exposure.
• Copper is biostatic. That means bacteria will not
  grow on its surface. Copper and copper alloy
  doorknobs protect against the transfer of disease
  in hospitals.

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Copper Products
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Copper Products