There has never been a greater focus on infection control and environmental cleaning practices in hospitals. Over the last two years, healthcare settings have been forced to evaluate preparedness levels, often confirming that vital changes are needed to infection prevention plans, or that existing guidelines be torn apart.
Suddenly, everyone has strong opinions on what to do about the spread of harmful germs; germs that contribute to an estimated 300,000 healthcare acquired infections (HAIs) a year.
Clearly, the implementation of robust infection prevention strategies is essential. But what does this look like in a post-Covid era? There’s little doubt that the pandemic aftermath will bring far-reaching changes, with a growing need for those in charge to embrace emerging changes today.
According to Arjun Luthra, commercial director at leading provider of biocompatible solutions BioInteractions, disruptive technologies in infection prevention have the potential to revolutionise the entire healthcare ecosystem.
Medical Device Technology spoke with Luthra about how enhancing all aspects of healthcare, from the surfaces we touch, to the PPE worn by staff, right the way through to the medical devices that are implanted in patients, can benefit both patients, professionals and providers.
The shift towards preventative techniques
“The lack of tools and the lack of preventative routines really put the industry at a disadvantage in terms of being able to confront healthcare-associated infections,” says Luthra. “Now, agencies such as the World Health Organisation are acknowledging these problems, and there’s a bigger move into preventative measures.
“People are have become increasingly interested in these techniques and processes, so we now have far more opportunities to invent and innovate products and tools that support those this. Ultimately, though, it’s not just about providing the technology, it’s about implementing new habits.”
A recognisable example of these small changes that can make a big impact is introducing regular handwashing to routines. With products such as BioInteractions’ TridAnt® Skin Protection, people can greatly reduce the risk of spreading infections.
TridAnt® is BioInteractions’ newest technological innovation. Lauded as the most effective and advanced antimicrobial technology available on the market, TridAnt® ensures 99.99% protection against bacteria, viruses and fungi, with durability up to 365 days, and safe compatibility with medical devices.
The range includes TridAnt® Shield protective film, TridAnt® PPE, TridAnt® Skin Protection and TridAnt® Dry-wipes. These additions to BioInteractions’ portfolio of multi-action technologies and materials provide a host of opportunities for hospital infection prevention on all surfaces.
Reducing infection risks in hospitals
According to Luthra: “One of the riskiest places in terms of catching an infection is a hospital. If you’re going into a procedure that is invasive, you need to take antibiotics to prevent infection, but strict regimes of antibiotics are not a long-term solution for many patients; there needs to be an additional or alternative solution, and that’s why we started to innovate antimicrobial coatings.”
Founded in Berkshire in 1991 by Luthra’s father, Ajay, BioInteractions is paving the way when it comes to health and hygiene solutions that work to combat infection transmission across surfaces. In fact, TridAnt® provides the only truly non-leaching antimicrobial technology in the world, with a durability and stability superior to any other offering and a 100-day efficiency.
In addition to not degrading in efficiency over time, BioInteractions antimicrobial coatings offer complete biocompatibility, making them an ideal solution for implantable medical devices.
“Because you have this preventative ecosystem, we can actually change hospitals from being one of the riskiest places to being the cleanest places in the world. This is where we want to make a real impact on medical devices and PPE and routines, and we will see a reduction in antibiotics being prescribed as people adopt our solutions.”
What about cost-efficiency?
We all want products that last, but are long-term-use products incompatible with preventing the spread of infection? While disposable or short-term PPE may make it easier to reduce the risk of transmission, it’s not cost-effective or sustainable. But with BioInteractions’ solution, there is now a sustainable way for healthcare providers to reduce their costs.
“We can actually get into the circular economy now because we have facemasks which use medical-grade antimicrobial coatings. These can be provided to surgeons and nurses to enhance their protection and also allows them for much longer use than before.
“For overalls, gloves, and uniforms we can increase the quality of protection that would be lost over time, which reduces expenditure, creating more money to spend on more critical areas like cancer research or diabetes or Alzheimer’s. With our solution, healthcare settings are given the opportunity to focus their time and resources on other areas of challenge.
“Not only are we improving the quality of procedures for the patient, but we’re also helping to make cost savings thanks to reduced PPE use, as well as reduced spend on rigorous pharmaceutical regimes. Ultimately, we’re making the healthcare system a safer place to be.”
To find out more, download the whitepaper below.
