Michael Laurier, chief executive of Symphony Environmental Technologies, explains why the continued reliance on inert plastics in critical healthcare settings is a dereliction of duty to patient safety.
The relentless battle against healthcare-associated infections (HCAIs) continues in hospitals and care homes worldwide. Despite advancements in medical science and rigorous hygiene protocols, these threats persist, jeopardising patient safety and placing an immense burden on healthcare systems.
The recently published UKHSA Point Prevalence Survey starkly highlighted this persistent challenge, revealing the presence of HCAIs in 7.6% of patients – a concerning 1% increase from the 2016 survey. For the most vulnerable, such as orthopaedic patients and children, this figure surged to as high as 16.6%. These aren’t just statistics; these are people at risk, suffering from prolonged hospital stays and battling even more resistant health threats.
Bacterial and viral resistance is a dynamic and evolving threat, constantly demanding vigilance and innovative preventative measures. From the spectre of hospital superbugs like MRSA to the more recent global challenge of COVID-19, medical environments are themselves fertile grounds for pathogen transmission.
It is therefore no longer acceptable to rely on inert, old-fashioned plastic products, which are currently acting as a medium for HCAI cultivation and transmission. Healthcare professionals cannot overlook the safety of their surfaces and need to adopt smarter plastic solutions for their equipment and environment with urgency.
Plastic is the unsuspecting carrier
The danger of HCAIs lies in their silent spread. While direct patient-to-patient transmission is a concern, contaminated surfaces and objects – known as fomites – play a significant role in disseminating dangerous pathogens. Picture a hospital ward: door handles, light switches, bed rails, IV poles, medical device casings, and even patient gowns and masks are constantly touched by numerous individuals. Each contact point becomes a potential vector for bacteria and viruses.
Traditional plastics, while indispensable for their versatility and cost-effectiveness in healthcare, offer no inherent protection against microbial colonisation. By contrast, these surfaces can become reservoirs for dangerous microorganisms, facilitating their transfer and persistence within healthcare environments.
This is where smart plastics, specifically antimicrobial plastics, emerge as a revolutionary layer of defence. Unlike surface coatings that can wear off or require constant reapplication, antimicrobial plastics are integrated directly into the plastic during the manufacturing process. This means the antimicrobial properties are embedded throughout the material, providing a continuous, long-lasting and proactive barrier against contamination that does not diminish over time or with cleaning.
How do these smart plastics work? The active ingredients within these formulations are designed to disrupt microorganisms, whose lifespan depends on many factors. Viruses must invade the cells of a living host to replicate, while bacteria do not need a living host to replicate, but both bacteria and viruses can survive for several days on surfaces. Surfaces of almost any kind can therefore be a continuing source of infection.
If antimicrobial plastics are used during the plastic manufacturing process it makes plastic surfaces lethal to microbes. For bacteria, this might involve interfering with cell wall synthesis or protein production, leading to their incapacitation or destruction. For viruses, the mechanism often involves denaturing their protein coats or disrupting their genetic material, rendering them non-infectious. This robust, multi-faceted approach ensures a broad spectrum of efficacy against a wide array of pathogens.
They have been rigorously tested to prove effectiveness against a formidable list of dangerous organisms, including COVID-19, MRSA, E. coli, Salmonella, Listeria, Pseudomonas and Aspergillus Niger.
Innovations for plastic products are no longer just theoretical
The impact of this technology is not theoretical; it is demonstrably effective. Antimicrobial plastic gloves and masks have already been proven to achieve a 99.9% virus reduction. The potential impact, if every plastic glove donned, every mask worn, and every surface touched in a healthcare setting possessed this quality, would be immense. A small change in plastic production and procurement can have a significant impact on reducing surface contamination and lowering the risk of infections.
The applications of these plastics in healthcare are pervasive. Personal protective equipment, such as plastic gloves, masks, caps, shoe coverings and even gowns made from man-made fibre, with built-in antimicrobial properties, offer enhanced protection for both healthcare workers and patients.
Mattress covers, bed rails and medical device casings can actively combat microbial growth, meaning that surfaces that have to be constantly touched have a layer of built-in protection. Similarly, high-touch environmental surfaces, such as door handles, light switches, and wall panels can now become self-sanitising.
Medical supplies and equipment packaging can maintain sterility and prevent contamination from external sources – an added layer of protection on an already sanitary product. Components of medical equipment such as stethoscopes and infusion pumps can also be manufactured with inherent antimicrobial defences.
Another tool for infection prevention
It is important to understand that antimicrobial plastics are not a silver bullet to completely prevent infection, nor a replacement for sterilisation protocols and good housekeeping. Instead, they serve as another layer of defence working in tandem with existing control measures – and one that cannot be neglected any longer.
Plastic is a core part of healthcare; it’s everywhere, and when lives are at stake, outdated plastic products are unacceptable. The continued reliance on inert plastics in critical healthcare settings where pathogens thrive is a dereliction of duty to patient safety. Yet the healthcare sector has always been at the forefront of innovation to improve patient outcomes. Thus, the adoption of smart, antimicrobial plastics represents the next logical, essential step in this ongoing evolution.
Embedding antimicrobial plastics universally into hospital and care-home environments is a tangible, effective strategy that healthcare professionals can deploy to address stubbornly high infection rates and improve patient outcomes at very little extra cost. Smart plastics are not just an innovation; they are an imperative for a healthier future. The time for these changes is now – universally and urgently – before more patients are needlessly harmed by preventable infections.
