coppertalk

By Larry Peters, CDA Project Manager and Architectural Applications Specialist

Last month Larry Peters, Copper Development Association (CDA) project manager and architectural applications specialist, hosted a webinar in advance of the HEALTHCARE DESIGN conference in Nashville. More than 3,600 health care engineering, design and architectural professionals attended last week’s conference. Read more…

By Wilton Moran, CDA Project Engineer

Headlines announcing new cases of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are always unsettling for the public, as MRSA can be a deadly infection.  According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) an estimated 85% of the most serious MRSA infections are associated with a healthcare exposure, nearly 14% of the infections are community-associated.  While frightening, each case announced presents an opportunity to further educate Americans about this important public health issue. A new case of the staph bacteria that does not respond to some antibiotics commonly used to treat staph infections was recently confirmed at a New York area high school, causing the school district to distribute an alert to parents and students. As stated by the CDC, MRSA Infections are usually spread by having contact with someone’s skin infection or personal items they have used, like towels, bandages, or razors that touched their infected skin. MRSA can also be transferred from person to person through public touch surfaces such railings and door handles. Read more…

By Craig Thompson, Copper Development Association, Project Manager & Architectural Applications Specialist

Craig Thompson is an Illinois-registered architect.  He holds a graduate degree in architecture and, in 1972, began working in construction on residential, commercial and retail projects.  He joined the CDA in 1992, working primarily with architects.  He provides them with information for working with copper, including design assistance and help locating products and installers.

I recently attended hearings of the International Code Council (ICC) on the subject of copper roofing and fire ratings.  Some Building codes exist to enable architects and builders to specify the level of fire safety of the materials chosen for new construction – Class A, Class B or Class C.  For example, if someone building a home in an area of California where there are brush fires wanted to do something extra to protect the home, they would go with Class A materials.  For decades there was an exception for copper in the building code because it had always been considered non-combustible. Read more…

By Wilton Moran, Copper Development Association Project Engineer, Material Sciences 

Last month, CDA and a team of researchers presented clinical trial results in a poster session at the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections. These trials, which are funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, assessed the ability of Antimicrobial Copper to reduce the amount of bacteria on surfaces commonly found in hospital rooms. More than 3,000 physicians, pharmacists, nurses, infection preventionists and other health care decision-makers attended the conference. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC) and the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) sponsored the conference.

It was important for us to create a buzz at the conference because people just don’t know enough yet about the work we’re doing. We got the EPA registration in 2008 and currently have clinical trials going on at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center, both of which are in Charleston, S.C.

The first phase of the study showed that the most heavily contaminated objects are those closest to patients, such as bed rails, nurse’s call buttons and visitor chair arms. The study found high levels of Staphylococcus aureus, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) on those common objects. We know these bacteria can survive for long periods of time, so these contaminated surfaces can spread bacteria to people – patients, visitors and health care workers.

On the poster, findings from the second phase of the trial were presented. This phase involved replacing stainless steel and plastic versions of bed rails, tray tables, chair arms, nurse’s call buttons, monitors and IV poles with copper in the ICU rooms of the three hospitals participating in the study. The results attracted a lot of attention.

Researchers, who are specialists in infectious diseases, were very interested in our work. Many stopped by our booth, provided their contact information and requested periodic updates on the progress of the program. People from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were also interested in what we had to say. We also had several visitors from the CDC. When we first started this work, we learned that CDC needed to see a large body of published research papers in the public domain. At the conference we saw their interest and at this point, we know we’re getting their attention and they’re taking us more seriously.

 There’s much more recognition now of the role of surface contamination in hospital-acquired infections. That’s a huge plus for us because obviously if they think that’s a problem, health care decision-makers may consider antimicrobial surfaces in the future.

 If you’d like more information on the antimicrobial properties of copper, check out our brand website, Antimicrobial Copper.

By Wilton Moran, Copper Development Association Project Engineer, Material Sciences

Wilton Moran is a member of CDA’s Technical Services Team, which manages the Public Health Initiative. Wilton, Harold Michels, the CDA’s Senior Vice President of Technology and Technical Services, and other members of the team last month attended the Fifth Decennial International Conference on Healthcare-Associated Infections in Atlanta. The CDA spearheaded the effort to get EPA registration of copper alloys as antimicrobial public health products in 2008. The CDA presented findings from the second phase of a clinical trial at the conference.

Attending this conference has been one of the goals of the CDA. It’s a conference that happens once every 10 years and infectious disease experts from all over come to the meeting. There were many important people to reach and we had a story to tell. Two things were happening. We were presenting the results of the second phase of our clinical trials and we had a booth in the exhibit area that allowed us to talk to people about what we were doing and to show our new brand – Antimicrobial Copper.  

The results from the second phase of the hospital trials were presented by the clinical research team in a poster session. They attracted a lot of attention. Many of the people that saw the poster subsequently visited the booth to see Antimicrobial Copper components. Many provided us with their contact information and asked to be updated on the progress of the program. People would ask us about antimicrobial copper surfaces and how they were made – if there was a coating or something applied to the surfaces. We explained that the metals are intrinsically antimicrobial. They were curious and wanted to know more. Our goal was to create awareness and from that perspective our booth was a big success. We were busy throughout the convention talking to people and explaining what Antimicrobial Copper has to offer.

We also had questions about what type of organisms copper can kill. Companies that make infection control products also wanted information from us. This also gave us an opportunity to debunk some of the misconceptions about copper. People were concerned about the cost of copper and how they might incorporate it into their products. We were able to tell them that copper alloys have very good fabrication properties and are very easy to work with, so the fabrication process is much less energy intensive than for many other metals, including steels.  They may pay a little bit more for the materials, but they also have a product with an added value. We also explained that the cost of materials is only a small fraction of the final cost of a product. We want potential customers to know that working with copper is not prohibitively expensive.

At times, we were overwhelmed by the number of visitors at our booth. The conference was an incredible experience and it tells us our work is important and infectious disease specialists are excited about the potential of antimicrobial copper once they learn about it. Our hope is to inspire people to see what copper alloys can do and how they can benefit from what we’re doing.

Adam Estelle, guest blogger

By Adam Estelle, Copper Development Association, Inc. Project Engineer, Materials Science

Adam Estelle received his bachelor’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Arizona.  He joined the CDA in August of 2008 and works primarily on the Public Health Initiative promoting the antimicrobial properties of copper-based metals. 

Of all the exciting opportunities I’ve had with the Copper Development Association (CDA), the Annual Meeting is by far the most intriguing.  Industry giants from across the country gather every December to learn about emerging markets and get the latest news on copper’s role in applications ranging from plumbing to architecture to antimicrobial.  It’s quite inspiring to witness an industry come together as a whole and combine insight and experience to overcome collective challenges.

During December’s meeting, I presented new opportunities brought about by the EPA registration of copper as an antimicrobial and summarized CDA activity in the supply chain.  Ever since the EPA registered copper as an antimicrobial, we’ve been working with members to:

• strengthen awareness of the antimicrobial effort
• provide information about the science behind the EPA registration
• assist with new product development
• bring copper products to market with health claims

Once product manufacturers understand the science behind the antimicrobial message, and the large socioeconomic burden of healthcare-associated infections, they see the potential for copper touch surfaces used in products like door knobs, work stations, hand rails and IV poles.  CDA then points them to our membership to help find a supplier of antimicrobial copper.  As the process evolves, more and more suppliers will register with the EPA so they can market their products with public health claims.  As stewards of the EPA registration, CDA also helps product manufacturers convey the antimicrobial message accurately and responsibly. 

From scientific studies to marketing support, CDA is proactive throughout every step of the exciting process.  The Winter Meeting was a great opportunity to show our membership how we’re helping the pieces come together.  Since December, we’ve received more and more phone calls and emails from fabricators and manufacturers who want to move to the next level. That’s great news, because it will generate business for CDA members and help foster this young market.