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OCTOBER 9, 2008--MANCHESTER, UK--Since the Monroe Hospital opened in Bloomington, IN, in October 2006, there has never been a recorded case of hospital-acquired infection (HAI), such as MRSA, VRE, and C. difficile.
Monroe Hospital's director of infection prevention, James Ballard, attributes much of this success to Byotrol antimicrobial technology. Byotrol continues to kill microorganisms for days after it has been applied and even after it has dried (residual efficacy). A disinfectant such as bleach is only effective for around two minutes after application. After that microorganisms re-colonize the surface.
Byotrol kills resistant and difficult to kill organisms such as MRSA and VRE yet is extremely gentle on human skin compared to other disinfectants and requires no special precautions or equipment to use it.
Monroe Hospital treats around 13,000 patients annually and would ordinarily be at high risk of HCAI because its staff undertakes 3,000 bone and joint surgical procedures, including hip replacements, every year, with many of these being performed on older patients.
Monroe is using Byotrol in several ways. All hospital visitors have to sanitize their hands with Byotrol hand foam on entry. Staff members have incorporated Byotrol into their hand hygiene regimes and because the product is alcohol free, it does not dry or crack hands. The antimicrobial is used to clean hard surfaces and impregnated wipes are used to clean high-contact surfaces. Additionally, the hospital exterior is sprayed annually with Byotrol, which also prevents growth of algae on stonework.
According to Ballard, "Byotrol has been central to this success and has allowed us to become a hospital that is proactively preventing infection rather than reacting to it."
Byotrol is currently being piloted by Synergy Health for the NHS following a successful study conducted at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 2006, which saw MRSA reduced by 50 percent by treating just 5 percent of a ward's high-contact surfaces.
Curtis Gemmell, professor of Bacterial Infection and Epidemiology at the University of Glasgow, comments, "This demonstrates there is a proven and practical solution to address the current crisis. It must be stressed that hospitals looking to manage down hospital acquired infections need a combination of robust procedures backed by a management team that have a good understanding of infection prevention and this needs to be underpinned by a powerful technology."
Stephen Falder, deputy chairman of Byotrol and inventor of the technology, says, "We are delighted with this achievement. Byotrol is revolutionary but we have always said it is not a substitute for good hygienic practice. When coupled with a well managed environment, it will make a spectacular difference. We now have a clear example of what can be achieved using Byotrol in a demanding healthcare situation. Having two infection-free years in a busy hospital shows what can be achieved and will give real hope to those involved in managing down infections in NHS hospitals."
Source: Byotrol plc
Visit www.byotrol.com
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