Preventing Hospital-Acquired Infections with Treated Adhesive Films
A study at the University Hospital Basel has confirmed the effectiveness of an antimicrobial coating on adhesive films.
In a clinical study that lasted several months, the effectiveness of antimicrobial-treated surfaces against hospital pathogens was examined under real-life conditions at the University Hospital Basel in Switzerland. The research team, headed by Prof. Dr. Andreas Widmer and Dr. R. Frei, confirmed that the Sanitized®-treated adhesive film developed jointly with HEXIS S.A.S. has 98% effectiveness against microbes.
Despite improvements in hygiene measures, it is estimated that hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) claim 37,000 lives in the EU every year; in the U.S., these infections claim over 98,000 lives annually. In addition, high economic losses are involved. The development and research into the effectiveness of hygiene measures is therefore critical, since the microbes that cause infections can survive on surfaces for hours or even months and be spread from there. One current field of research is in antimicrobial coatings.