(1888PressRelease)
October 06, 2007 - Drawing up a plan to remain MRSA free was a vital priority when Leicestershire-based Croxton Lodge, a specialist hospital which assesses, treats and rehabilitates adults with learning disabilities, opened six months ago. The main weapons employed by the unit in Melton Mowbray in the superbug fight was Kalamazoo Security Print’s (www.kalamazoosecure.co.uk) bacteria-killing Touch Safe* products.
Staff at Croxton Lodge use Touch Safe stationery and Karefile frames for their patient notes that have an integrated additive containing silver ions, which instantly starts to kill microbes on contact. Cross-contamination remains one of the main methods of spreading the bacteria and not only occurs through healthcare professional-to-patient contact but even through patient records being handled by medical staff.
The hospital offers a safe and structured environment for the treatment of individuals with challenging behaviour and complex needs that aren’t being met by other medical institutions. The centre not only caters for long-term patients in its 30-bed unit, but also holds regular day service sessions, which seek to enhance life skills and the possibility of patients moving on to community based living.
Charge Nurse Katie Deedes, a member of the Infection Control Nurse Association and Croxton Lodge’s Lead Nurse for Infection Control, said: “Despite huge efforts to reduce the deadly MRSA bacteria it is still prevalent in many hospitals but we had an opportunity from the off-set to make Croxton Lodge a bacteria free zone.”
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) admitted that overall reported cases of MRSA in the UK were only 10 per cent lower than the previous year. Regular washing and sterilising of tools goes a long way to preventing bacteria spreading but the strength and adaptability of MRSA means it can pass through any kind of material.
Patients are referred to Croxton Lodge in a variety of ways including NHS/healthcare, social and private services throughout the country. Parent company, Castlebeck, already has units throughout England and Scotland and has been operating for 20 years. All the buildings at the hospital are subjected to rigorous monthly internal audits, known as PSR checks (Periodic Service Reviews) to combat the life threatening bug so there has to be constant daily protection in an environment with a high level of human contact.
“Even the most careful hospital staff risk passing the bacteria through essential accessories like case note folders, care records and charts which have to be handled with routine frequency,” Charge Nurse Katie Deedes explained.
The additives used by Kalamazoo are resistant to bacterial mutation. Only last year a deadly new strain the Panton-Valentine Leukocidin (PVL) MRSA, killed a hospital worker and a patient in a Midlands based hospital. Clinical research has shown that the additive used by Kalamazoo kills 99.9 per cent of bacteria within 24-hours.
“The products give us peace of mind and solved the problem of decontaminating products which are constantly handled but are unpractical to sterilise on a daily basis. We would without a doubt recommend Kalamazoo’s products to other hospitals,” Charge Nurse Katie Deedes added.
The Kalamazoo products cover patient records, case note folders, record holders and binders constructed of paper, moulding compounds, thermoplastics, laminates and paints. The Touch Safe products contain permanent hygienic solution active 24-hours a day throughout the lifetime of the product. Safe to use in any hospital or healthcare facility, the additive has no side effects and is non-toxic. Kalamazoo works closely with Medipost (UK) Ltd to distribute this range throughout large public sector organisations.
Richard Farmer, UK Sales Director at Kalamazoo Security Print, said: “Doctors and nurses today are very fastidious about hygiene, but situations can arise where patient records carrying MRSA or other superbugs are passed from one healthcare professional to another. It is therefore imperative that as well as having rigorous hygiene practices; the paperwork and patient record holders used within hospitals are also resistant to these microbes. Croxton Lodge is helping to stop the spread of these dangerous diseases at the source where cross-contamination commonly occurs.”
“Thomas Vimier, Managing Director of Medipost (UK) Ltd, said: “Like Croxton Lodge, our customers are increasingly looking to improve hygiene and fight the spread of superbugs in their facilities. Innovative Kalamazoo Touch Safe products provide a unique solution and are safe and easy to use.”
The Touch Safe trial was independently tested and verified by LawLabs in Birmingham, the Medical Institute for Microbiology at the University of Milan, the Virology Institute at the University of Catania and the SIK Institute in Gothenburg. Product approval has been granted by the EU Biocide Directive and the US’s Environmental Protection Agency and Food and Drug Administration.
*Some products within the Touch Safe range are protected by the Polygiene® agent and are supplied to Croxton Lodge by Medipost (UK) Ltd.
Notes to Editors:
About Kalamazoo Security Print:
Kalamazoo Security Print, part of Adare, is a leading supplier of security printed documents and business solutions improving the efficiency of customers' organisations and protecting them from fraud.
With a wealth of experience of over 100 years, Kalamazoo offers the latest technology to secure people, premises, documents and payment transactions.
Meeting and exceeding the most stringent standards, Kalamazoo is accredited by: the Association of Payment Clearing Services (APACS); British Security Industry Association (BSIA); ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System and BS7799/ISO27001 Information Security.
www.kalamazoosecure.co.uk
About Medipost (UK) Ltd:
Medipost (UK) Ltd is a provider of medical equipment and nursing supplies. Established in 1984, Medipost have built their reputation on excellent service and quality. Offering a large range of products at competitive prices, Medipost aims for next day delivery within the U.K.
www.medipost.co.uk
