A copper-impregnated surface significantly reduced C. difficile spores by over 97% within four hours, offering continuous antimicrobial protection.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- A federally funded study found that copper-impregnated EOSCU surfaces significantly reduce C. difficile spores by over 97% within four hours, offering continuous antimicrobial protection.
- Unlike traditional disinfectants that require frequent application, EOSCU surfaces provide proactive and ongoing disinfection, even in the presence of organic material.
- Researchers suggest integrating EOSCU into high-touch hospital areas to improve infection control, with further studies needed to assess its long-term impact and cost-effectiveness.
A federally-funded study published in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology demonstrates the efficacy of copper-impregnated surface, EOSCU, in significantly reducing Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) spores.Â
C. difficile spores can persist on healthcare surfaces for months and cause hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) among hospitalized patients. This research, conducted at Central Texas Veterans Health Care System in Temple, TX, investigated EOSCU, an American-made product manufactured by EOS Surfaces in Norfolk, Virginia. Key study findings included:
- Copper-impregnated EOSCU bedrail and table surfaces achieved a 97.3% and 96.8% reduction in C. difficile spores, respectively, after four hours of contact.
- Even in the presence of organic material, which can impede antimicrobial efficacy, EOSCU surfaces showed over 91% spore reduction.
- The study highlights EOSCU’s continuous antimicrobial activity, addressing gaps in traditional cleaning methods that have been proven to be inadequate in eradicating C. difficile spores.
“At EOS Surfaces, we have always placed science at the heart of everything we do, and partnering with the Veterans Administration on this project has been a true honor,” says Ken Trinder, CEO of EOS Surfaces and inventor of EOSCU. “This collaboration not only underscores the importance of EOSCU in advancing patient safety but also deepens our understanding of the science behind its effectiveness. We are proud to contribute to the health and safety of those who have served our country and remain committed to delivering solutions that make a measurable impact for patients nation-wide.”
Healthcare-associated infections pose a major challenge to hospitals worldwide, increasing patient mortality, length of stay, and healthcare costs. C. difficile spores, in particular, are highly resilient and capable of surviving on hospital surfaces for months and resisting many hospital-grade disinfectants. C. difficile infections (CDIs) are life-threatening and are the leading cause of HAIs among hospitalized patients.
This study underscores how to overcome some of the limitations of current decontamination methods, such as chemical disinfectants and “no-touch” technologies, which are episodic and do not provide continuous disinfection like EOSCU.
The study provides compelling evidence for integrating copper-impregnated EOSCU into high-touch patient areas, such as bedrails and overbed tables, in healthcare facilities. The research team also highlighted the need for further exploration into the long-term impact of copper-impregnated surfaces on infection rates and their cost-effectiveness as part of infection control strategies.
“A major problem with standard practice for prevention of C.difficile infection is the reliance on daily or terminal disinfection protocols. The spread of C.difficele spores however can be direct contact or aerosolization of spores (e.g. by toilet flushing) and thereby potentially spread to a broad area thereby not influenced by the standard disinfection protocols, with the related infection risks. Although the treatment of C.difficele infection and disinfection has shown considerable progress in risk reduction, these approaches remain unfortunately inadequate, given the scope and consequences of infection. This copper technology is the first of a kind targeting hard surface area exposures, to replace a reactive with a proactive and extremely effective approach. The clinical implications and values are potentially limitless both for patient outcomes as well as overall healthcare system cost savings. Notably, this was a study funded by the National Institute of Health, further highlighting the high-level scientific interest and support of this exciting technology.” Internationally-known gastroenterologist, Dr. David A Johnson MD MACG FASGE MVGS MACP, Professor of Medicine/Chief of Gastroenterology, Eastern VA Medical School/Old Dominion University (Not associated with the study.)