Bug business

Published: 16 July 2008  11:00 AM
Source: The Engineer Online

While there may be an element of truth to these criticisms, there’s no denying that the spread of hospital borne infections is one of the biggest problems facing the NHS. Indeed, between them, MRSA and Clostridium difficile are thought to have been contributing factors in around 8,000 deaths in England and Wales in 2005 / 2006.

Regular cleaning certainly has a role to play, but the spread of such diseases is a complex problem with huge challenges. MRSA, although the most well known, is not the only bug wreaking havoc in our hospital wards - and there is still much to learn about the different transmission routes of different bugs.

The science of deep cleaning itself could also do with a rethink. Current techniques often require entire wards to be emptied and this isn’t always practical. What’s really required is a technique that will kill bacteria without having to move out the patients.

And while the increasing use of bactericidal materials on critical surfaces has been much trumpeted - such materials are useless if, for instance, they take 12 hours to kill germs but are being used on a surface, like a tap , that is used every few minutes.

A somewhat more sophisticated response to the problem was launched this week by Trustech, the NHS Innovation Hub for the north west of England, which is calling for engineers from the medical industry and beyond to consider whether they have technology that could help halt  the spread of superbugs.

Under the nationwide scheme, dubbed the Smart Solutions programme, the NHS is looking beyond the medical industry at other sectors which might have something to offer.

From companies working in the sterile pharmaceutical and food industries, to the developers of clean room technologies used in manufacturing operations, to automotive coatings specialists, the programme’s aim is to leave no stone unturned in the search for useful new technology. It’s a win win situation. While providing our health service with valuable tools in the fight against superbugs, the programme also potentially offers a fast track for technology firms to become suppliers to the NHS, historically a pretty tough market to crack.

Jon Excell, features editor

Comments

A complete re-think is required about the way we provide medical services. Small community hospitals instead of large industrial institutions would be better able to control infection and hygiene. Large institutions are incubators for this kind of infection.
Scott: 16 Jul 2008

A number of changes to hospital management and training practices (and omissions) have adversely affected hospital hygiene. Amongst the most serious are: reduction in the number of beds and wards leads to high occupancy rates. This leaves no slack during which thorough cleaning between patients might be carried out. Contracting out cleaning to lowest bidders, rather than using the more expensive, but infinitely better trained, nursing staff under the command (I use the word deliberately) of Ward Sister and Matron was the start of the decline in hospital hygiene. Hospital staff travelling to and from work in uniform, instead of changing into laundered work wear on arrival, and out again, before departure, is a classic way of bringing outside infections into the hospitals. We wouldn't dream of having staff going into the final stages of pharmaceutical, food, or semi-conductor manufacture in clothes that had been worn in the street. The cost savings from having nurses washing their own uniforms at home instead of using an internal (or even a commercial) laundry service is false economy. Full marks to the Welsh hospital service who have recently banned the wearing of uniform outside hospital!
Ian Watson-Walker: 16 Jul 2008

Tests using copper & copper alloys have shown that the superbugs are killed within hours of contact with these materials. There are many conclusive results to be found on the internet. The NHS must be aware of this yet do not implement the findings. Something as simple as door push plates being changed to copper will have a really beneficial effect with minimum outlay. The copper does not have to cleaned & the antimicrobial properties do not degrade with oxidisation.
greg webb: 16 Jul 2008

Interesting article - From my own observations in a Major hospital in North Cumbria: Porter comes to a door with glove on, pushing a waste trolley with waste bags on. He opens the door wearing gloves, enters and closes the door wearing gloves. He then comes back out of the door with more waste bags on his trolley still wearing gloves, then closes the door wearing gloves. This is followed shortly by a theatre worker (dressed in basic clothing) and opens door WITHOUT gloves on. Then he comes out of the door pushing a theatre trolley and closes the door. Hence he touches the same door handles as the porter (waste disposal) and then touches the trolley!!! No sign of disinfectant hand gel or washing or even removing dirty gloves. Is this a problem??
David Hodgson: 16 Jul 2008

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