It is estimated that 400,000 to 600,000 patients in Germany contract a hospital-acquired infection every year. It has been documented that between 10,000 and 15,000 people die from one every year. Many of the infections could be avoided by consistently following hygiene guidelines and monitoring compliance with them. Solutions that prevent bacterial colonization on medical devices make a valuable contribution to reducing infections. SIMEON Medical’s experts in surgical equipment offer a special coating for many of their products that reduces germ colonization by 99.99 percent.
Hygiene in hospitals has been an important subject long before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Alarming reports of pathogens in hospital had been common before it. According to the 2021 Barmer hospital study, up to 600,000 patients in German hospitals contract a hospital-acquired infection every year. Up to 15,000 of the affected even die from them. The afflicted patients usually have a compromised immune system to begin with, so they are not able to fight off the often multi-resistant germs very well. According to the Barmer study, the coronavirus pandemic has even made the situation worse. This is why Barmer CEO Prof. Dr. med. Christoph Straub calls to make hospital hygiene a national health goal.
Inadequate hygiene is a strain on the healthcare system
First and foremost, the affected patients and their relatives suffer from infections that developed in hospitals. After all, hospitalization was intended to heal – not make the condition worse. And the healthcare system itself is also under great strain. According to Barmer’s estimates, nosocomial infections cost as much as EUR 1.5 billion a year. The spread of hospital pathogens due to the coronavirus pandemic is also attributable to the heavy burden on staff. Nurses and doctors are doing enormous work, but are sometimes under such great time pressure that the heightened hygiene standards can no longer be fully met. Having the right hospital equipment can prevent the spread of hospital germs – and help relieve the burden on staff and patients.
Critical area: the OR
The OR is a focal point for hospital germs. Depending on the operation, there are many “access routes” for pathogens to get into the human body. The surgical instruments are not critical in this regard, as they are either disposable or sterilized after each operation. Instead, it is the equipment needed, such as operating lights or other electrical devices in the operating room that are problematic. Even though they are cleaned after each operation, sometimes this is not enough. Some germs are stubborn and cannot be easily wiped off. This increases the risk of contamination. Special antibacterial coatings such as Anti.BAC® offer a solution.
This coating has been used by Tuttlingen-based medical technology manufacturer SIMEON Medical for quite some time – and with great success. SIMEON uses the coating with maximum antimicrobial effect as standard for all powder-coated components of its time-tested lighting installations. Anti.BAC® automatically reduces 99.99% of bacteria and germs on surfaces and thus contributes to improved hygiene (log 5.9 for Escherichia coli and log 4.29 for Staphylococcus aureus). SIMEON is the first manufacturer to completely dispense with physiologically harmful nanosilver and free silver ions. Anti.BAC® is certified according to ISO 22196. SIMEON uses the coating on light heads, extension arms, central axes, ceiling tubes, monitor holders, and more. This automatically reduces the risk of contamination on all permanently installed components in the operating room. Since the antibacterial coating is extremely robust and durable, it can be easily disinfected by wiping as part of the surgical cleaning process, yet it is retained and remains effective and over the service life of the equipment.
Another major advantage of SIMEON surgical lights is the intuitive my.GRIP concept. This offers impressive operating and hygiene advantages. my.GRIP enables the user to make the most important settings on the surgical light with just a touch, while retaining sterile conditions. The operating light’s centrally mounted sterile handle makes this very easy. Short or longer rotary movements on the sterile handle allow the surgeon to adjust the illumination intensity and the light field diameter under sterile conditions. Thanks to the personalization option, my.GRIP allows up to 12 freely selectable combinations of setting options. This minimizes contact with the light and significantly reduces the risk of potential contamination.
Better hygiene in the ward
But it’s not just the OR that presents contamination risks. Germs and pathogens can also be a danger in treatment rooms. Doctors and nurses often rush from room to room and come into contact with many patients one after the other. If there is contamination in one room, it can be quickly spread to other rooms. Here too, having surfaces coated with Anti.BAC® can help prevent contamination with little effort. SIMEON mobile stands and examination and treatment lights have a special coating similar to that of the OR solutions. This means that a valuable contribution to greater hygiene can also be made in everyday hospital work outside the OR.
More hygiene with less effort
Hygiene in hospitals is becoming increasingly important in Germany. Hospital pathogens not only incur immense costs, but in worst-case scenarios, they can also cost human lives. Efficient remedies such as SIMEON’s antimicrobial-coated solutions can significantly increase hygiene without putting additional strain on hospital budgets. In the end, this is a benefit to everyone involved: hospital staff, the healthcare system and, last but not least, the patients.
