Assessing the Impact of Antimicrobial Surfaces on Reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections
Keywords:
Antimicrobial Surfaces, Hospital Infections, Infection Control, Patient SafetyAbstract
Introduction:
Studies have shown that surfaces with antimicrobial properties can reduce microbial contamination by up to 24-64%, depending on the type of pathogen and surface material used. This systematic review aimed to fulfill this need by offering a detailed analysis of the role of antimicrobial surfaces in reducing Hospital-Acquired Infections.
Methods:
This systematic review utilized a retrospective approach to investigate the effectiveness of antimicrobial surfaces in reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), involving a detailed search of electronic databases like PubMed and MEDLINE, and adhering to strict inclusion and exclusion criteria. The review process included screening studies for relevance, in-depth review of selected articles, quality assessment, and a combination of narrative synthesis and meta-analysis, ensuring a thorough and unbiased analysis of the impact of antimicrobial surfaces in healthcare infection control.
Results:
The systematic review encompassed seven studies that assessed the impact of antimicrobial surfaces on reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), covering a broad spectrum of healthcare settings, from small hospitals with 150 beds to large ones with 780 beds. These studies explored a variety of antimicrobial surfaces, including copper alloys, silver-impregnated materials, and self-disinfecting coatings, each with distinct properties and effectiveness against common healthcare pathogens. The findings revealed that the effectiveness of these surfaces in reducing HAIs varied, with risk differences ranging from 12% to 31%, highlighting their potential role in diverse healthcare environments.
Conclusions:
This systematic review reveals that antimicrobial surfaces, including copper alloys, silver-impregnated materials, and self-disinfecting coatings, are effective in reducing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), with their effectiveness that may reach a third reduction of the total risk.
