Hospital-acquired infections have been a big problem for a long time. 5% of patients will acquire an infection while hospitalized. 100,000 die annually as a result. And, such infections cost roughly $40 billion annually according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Infections can develop even when every conceivable precaution is taken. No amount of scrubbing, cleansing, or disinfecting can eliminate the risk entirely because bacteria are ubiquitous and resilient. Here is a helpful overview common bacterial infections.
When I speak with prospective clients, they are often surprised to learn that if they unexpectedly got an infection in a hospital or other care facility they probably do not have medical malpractice case. This can be especially difficult to hear when the infection has caused significant, life-altering complications. It is hard to prove that a hospital-acquired infection is the result of medical malpractice because it is almost always impossible to isolate the source of infection and then demonstrate that negligence was the cause. Usually, an infection case is only viable when there is an identifiable systemic failure with multiple victims, as my partner has discussed in several posts about dirty endoscopes which you can read here.
According to a recent article in the Northeast Phoenix Republic, some hospitals, and at least one here in Arizona, are turning to copper to attack the problem. Copper is essentially toxic to bacteria and usually fatal. In fact, the EPA says that certain copper alloys can kill nearly 100% of the bacteria they encounter within two hours. It comes as no surprise then that a 2013 study concluded by replacing commonly touched surfaces such as doorknobs, light switches and fixtures hospital-acquired infection rates decreased by 58%. That’s a big drop!
So why isn’t everyone doing it? Cost seems to be the biggest factor. Even when it’s cheap, copper isn’t cheap. It also makes the most sense to use copper when constructing a new facility. Expense can be a big factor in retrofitting an older one solely for the purpose of installing copper alloys to combat bacteria. The utility of cooper versus its cost also may depend on the type of facility. For example, a facility that primarily serves cancer patients may see more benefit because its patients are generally more susceptible to the effects of infections than others. However, if the CDC estimates of the costs resulting from infection are true $40 billion dollars a year can buy a lot of copper fixtures.
So, here’s to copper. It’s not just for pipes and wires anymore. I am sure we we’ll be seeing more of it utilized in health care facilities in the future.
