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The effect of copper-oxide-treated soft and hard surfaces on the incidence of healthcare-associated infections: a two-phase study.
Plain-language guide to PMID 32068014 (2020): crossover randomized controlled trial of Copper (Supplement).
Key Facts
- PMID
- 32068014
- Journal
- The Journal of hospital infection
- Year
- 2020
- Study type
- Randomized Controlled Trial
- Authors
- Marik PE et al. (3 authors)
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.jhin.2020.02.006
What This Study Did, in Plain Language
What Was Tested
The paper reports a study of Copper (Supplement), published as a randomized controlled trial.
Who Took Part
By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were teenagers, young adults, adults, middle-aged adults, older adults and people over 80.
How the Study Was Run
The design is described as randomized and crossover.
Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Copper (Supplement) and who got the comparison, which limits bias.
In the crossover set-up each of the participants took both Copper (Supplement) and the comparison in turn, acting as their own control.
This was a two-phase study.
Phase 1 was a prospective, cluster-randomized, cross-over clinical trial in which one pod (eight beds) of their general ICU (GICU) utilized copper-oxide-impregnated linens whereas the other pod (eight beds) used standard hospital linens.
Phase 2 was a two-year before-after study, following the relocation of three ICUs into a new ICU tower in which all the hard surfaces were treated with copper oxide (in addition to copper-impregnated linens).
HCAIs were recorded using the National Healthcare Safety Network definitions.
What Was Measured
The subject headings attached to it are Bedding and Linens, Catheters, Indwelling, Clostridioides difficile, Clostridium Infections, Copper, Cross Infection and Disinfection.
Author keywords: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection, Central-line-associated bloodstream infection, Copper oxide, Hard surfaces, Healthcare-associated infection and Soft surfaces.
What This Means in Plain Language
The paper is a randomized and crossover study of Copper (Supplement).
The abstract goes on to report its results in about 5 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.
The publication is from 2020 (The Journal of hospital infection), a journal based in England.
More context: the Copper (Supplement) compound page, all human trials.
Our Notes on the Compound
Copper (Supplement): The active site of cytochrome c oxidase is described as containing copper ions that are essential for electron transfer.
Related Pages
Source: PubMed record. This explanation is written by PeptideWhiz from the public record. For research and education only. Not medical advice; no dosing information is given.