Hospital pioneers new hygiene measure
Monday 18th January 2010
A private hospital in Ireland has installed copper handles to its doors in an innovative attempt to reduce the spread of superbugs such as MRSA.
Situated in Mullingar, County Westmeath, St Francis Private Hospital has teamed up with Copper International to replace more than 100 door handles in the establishment based on research which showed that they can reduce contamination by 90 to 100 per cent.
According to a study carried out at Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham, MRSA and Clostridium difficile microbes die at a much faster rate after coming into contact with copper, compared to stainless steel.
Noleen Sheridan, the general manager of the hospital, said: "As it is estimated that 80 per cent of infections are spread by touch, keeping surfaces like door handles as germ free as possible will impact on the spread of infection."
MRSA bacteria are resistant to many antibiotic treatments, which contributes to the bug's ability to spread quickly through environments such as hospitals.
Written by Martin Lambert
Related articles
Junior NHS doctors feel undervalued
Junior doctors working in the NHS feel they are being undervalued by senior members of staff within the service. A new survey...
Friday 27th January 2012
David Cameron told to abandon "unwanted" NHS...
Prime minister David Cameron should forget about an NHS reform, according to Labour leader Ed Miliband. He told MPs at Prime...
Thursday 26th January 2012
Lack of sleep can cause obesity
Not getting enough sleep can cause a person's appetite to increase, according to research by a team at Uppsala University in...
Wednesday 18th January 2012
Related Hospital-Doctors Jobs
SHO Emergency Medicine job in the Midlands Our London based client is looking to recruit a locum SHO Doctors to join there innovative Emergency Medicine department. Mediplacements offer same day placement!! ASAP Start Highly competitive hourly pay rate On-going contract Free accommodation and travel Extensive benefits and incentives package! . SHO Emergency Medicine job in the Midlands Our London based client is looking to recruit a locum SHO Doctors to join ...
Full infoStaff Grade in Anaesthetics is urgently require in East Anglia for an on going booking.... As a GMC registered Staff Grade you will have the ability to demonstrate good experience of working in a Anaesthetics...
Full infoSpecialist Registrar in Cardiology. Ref: 2408AH2 Job Title: Specialist Registrar in Cardiology Location: West Sussex Well established NHS Hospital in S...
Full info