27th October 2014
Antimicrobial patient and staff stations installed into Western Australian private hospital, capable of a biocidal kill rate of 99% against deadly infections and superbugs.
NiQ Health is pleased to announce the first installation of their CarePlus™ antimicrobial patient and staff stations into a private, Western Australian hospital. The patient and staff stations contain built-in, organic, antimicrobial protection from serious bacteria and infections. The equipment uses state-of-the-art material that inhibits the growth of potentially harmful bacteria, fungi and algae. Extensive testing conducted showed that the antimicrobial material achieved a 99% biocidal kill rate for a wide range of bacteria including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Salmonella enteritidis, E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes.
Western Australian private hospital, Saint John of God Geraldton Hospital, is committed to providing high quality care to their patients. The facility has been operating since 1935, providing care to the Geraldton, North of Perth and Midwest region of Western Australia. Their goal of constantly meeting industry best practice led them to choose the CarePlus™ antimicrobial patient and staff stations for their recent hospital wide upgrade. Saint John of God Geraldton has several quality and safety policies in place that measure quality and risk management, ensures service and doctor accreditation, and analyses externally collected patient satisfaction data; the CarePlus™ antimicrobial patient and staff stations further ensure the safety of patients and staff.
Serious infections or ‘superbugs’ such as MRSA are an increasing concern for many hospitals internationally. The cost of these infections to Governments and healthcare providers is growing rapidly, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement estimates that the total cost to the US healthcare system from MRSA infections alone is at more than $2.5 billion annually. For each patient infected with MRSA their hospital stay is extended by an average 9.1 days, a serious issue for already overloaded acute care facilities. The CarePlus™ antimicrobial patient and staff stations are able to continuously fight the growth of bacteria, providing continuous protection against bacterial contamination. The antimicrobial technology interferes with the cell wall of micro-organisms that come into contact with the surface, disrupting key cell functions and preventing microbes from functioning, growing or reproducing.
The CarePlus™ antimicrobial patient and staff station meets Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) requirements for medical devices. The Therapeutic Goods (Medical Devices) Regulations 2002 – Schedule 1, Part 2, Principle 8.1 of the Commonwealth Government Act the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 requires medical device manufacturers to design and produce their product in a way that minimises or eliminates the risk of infection and contamination to a patient or user of the device.
NiQ Health views patient safety and regulation protecting patients of highest priority with their CarePlus™ Nurse Call Life Safety System. The addition of antimicrobial patient and staff stations ensures protection of patient and staff safety by significantly reducing the spread of infections and bacteria through physical contact with the CarePlus™ system.
