In a clinical trial at Sentara Leigh Hospital in Norfolk, Va., the facility started using sheets, towels and patient gowns and hard surfaces infused with copper, according to an article on The Daily Progress website.
Modern studies have found that materials enhanced with copper are effective at eliminating 99.9 percent of bacteria within a few hours.
In the Sentara study, researchers found an 83 percent reduction in infections caused by Clostridium difficile and a 78 percent overall reduction in multidrug-resistant organisms.
As a result of these findings, as well as a follow-up study involving other Sentara hospitals, Sentara Healthcare will install copper linens, bedside tables and bed handrails in all 12 of its hospitals.
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