The materials are clean, convenient, easy to use, sterile and cheap. Although plastics are a sensible tool to use to combat HAIs, healthcare professionals are seeking new ways plastics can be even more effective in keeping patients safe in hospitals.
Here are seven key points about medical plastic usage and selection from an industry leader.
1. Antimicrobial additives are incorporated into certain medical devices and their effectiveness in preventing infection is related, in part, to the environment in which the products are being used. For devices used in parts of the body where infectious bacteria can readily grow, the antimicrobial is incorporated into the plastic surface of the device, which comes into contact with the potential pathogens, making it more difficult for them to take hold. As long as the surface of the device is able to stay clean, it will continue to be effective against microbes.
2. Some types of antimicrobials are released from plastic devices to disrupt the activity of bacteria beyond just those that come into direct contact with its surface. An upside to this type of incorporation is that the antimicrobial agent can intermingle with potential pathogens away from its surface and prevent colonization. However, the tradeoff is that the duration of this activity is limited, only so much of the agent can be released before stores run dry and the device must be replaced.
3. One limitation of incorporating antimicrobial agents into plastic medical devices is that the compound is not immediately effective, unlike a sterilizing wipe or other disinfecting tools. The sites where these tools are used should therefore also be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected using more immediate sterilization measures.
4. Potential overuse of antimicrobials in a wide variety of medical devices could eventually lead to the development of bacteria that are resistant to them, as has been seen with some other standard medicines and infection treatment protocol.
5. The EPA has expressed concern about antimicrobials from these devices leaching into the environment following disposal in landfills. Little research has been done on the long-term consequences of this leaching.
6. It is important to select plastics that will stand up to repeated disinfecting and sterilization from abrasive cleaning products. Improved design will help to make devices, like those made from durable polymers, able to withstand caustic cleaning procedures.
7. Designing devices so that every inch of their surface is readily accessible and able to be cleaned and sterilized will likely reduce patient exposure to deadly pathogens. In some instances, overly complicated designs, rather than the materials devices are constructed from, may be the cause of incomplete sterilization.
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