March 2-March 15, 2016
—
COLORADO REAL ESTATE JOURNAL
— Page 11B
S
urfaces in health care
settings are recognized
as a common source
of contamination and spread of
health care acquired infections.
Many of these organisms can
survive on wet and dry surfaces
for months and may be resistant
to usual disinfection methods.
As medical design professionals,
facility managers and health care
leadership, we should be looking
critically at facility design and at
what steps can be taken to reduce
the risk and prevent health care
acquired infections.
Bacteria and fungi compromise
the health of patients and
consumers, according to “Anti-
Microbial Coatings with a Long-
Term Effect for Surfaces” that
ran in the January 2015 issue of
Science Daily.
My rule of thumb is to
focus prevention strategies on
high-touch surfaces in exam
rooms and patient rooms. To
be effective, surfaces must be
nonporous and able to withstand
the rigors of harsh cleaners used
routinely on surfaces.
Researchers at the INM-
Leibniz Institute for New
Materials produced antimicrobial
abrasion-resistant coatings
with both silver and copper
colloids with a long-term effect
that kill germs reliably and, at
the same time, prevent germs
from becoming established.
Antimicrobial coatings can fall
into two classes: bacteriostatic
and bactericidal. Simply stated, a
bacteriostat inhibits the growth
or reproduction of bacteria, while
a bactericidal kills bacterium.
Both have proven research that
indicated the positive impact on
reducing bacteria.
As a designer, I am seeing
cubicle curtains with silver ion,
solid surface materials available in
both silver and copper, and door
hardware with copper coating,
and many more. Also, medical
equipment manufacturers are
working with these coating
providers to create surfaces on
equipment with antimicrobial
coatings.
As medical design professionals,
the following design steps should
be considered when planning the
physical environment of clinics
and hospitals.
• Antimicrobial coatings with
a long-term effect for surfaces
on doorknobs, faucet levers,
countertops, bedrails, overbed
tables, cubicle curtains, mobile
medical equipment and chair
arms;
• In emergency departments,
minor procedure rooms and
operating rooms, provide UV/
white-light disinfecting lighting
for terminal cleaning;
• Resilient floor coverings that
are easy to clean, seamless and
integral base;
• Wall finishes that are smooth,
seamless and durable at lower
heights where carts, beds and
equipment can damage; and
• Ceiling finish that is smooth
and washable.
As conveyed in the checklist,
preventing the spread of bacteria
and health care acquired
infections in health care settings
cannot be done with one simple
step. Rather, many elements must
be put in place to create an army
fighting the cause.
As medical design professionals,
we must choose wisely
when planning health care
environments and selecting
surface materials. Not all surface
materials are equal in cleanability,
durability and resistance to
bacteria.
As health care facility managers
and leadership, at early planning
stages, request that your design
team generate an infection
reduction checklist and continue
to monitor compliance to the
checklist through all stages of
design and construction to
confirm implementation. We are
all in the infection prevention
fight together.
Rebecca Brennan
Principal, Design Studio Blue LLC,
Lone Tree
Courtesy Design Studio Blue LLC and HMC Architects
Designers should create an infection reduction checklist to avoid contamination and the spread of health care
acquired infections.
