SynthesisThe Journal of hospital infection2020
Does copper treatment of commonly touched surfaces reduce healthcare-acquired infections? A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in The Journal of hospital infection, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Article
- Antimicrobial activity of copper-nickel coated door handles: a blinded, randomized controlled study in a clinical setting.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2025Article
- An Antimicrobial Copper-Plastic Composite Coating: Characterization and In Situ Study in a Hospital Environment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Hygiene requirements for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces: recommendation of the Commission for Hospital Hygiene and Infection Prevention (KRINKO) at the Robert Koch Institute.GMS hygiene and infection control · 2024Article
- Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundHealthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) cause substantial morbidity and mortality. Copper appears to have strong antimicrobial properties under laboratory conditions.
aimTo examine the potential effect of copper treatment of commonly touched surfaces in healthcare facilities.
methodsControlled trials comparing the effect of copper-treated surfaces (furniture or bed linens) in hospital rooms compared with standard rooms on HAIs were included in this systematic review. Two reviewers independently screened retrieved articles, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. The primary outcome was the occurrence of HAIs.
findingsIn total, 638 records were screened, and seven studies comprising 12,362 patients were included. All included studies were judged to be at high risk of bias in two or more of the seven domains. All seven studies reported the effect of various copper-treated surfaces on HAIs. Overall, this review found low-quality evidence of potential clinical importance that copper-treated hard surfaces and/or bed linens and clothes reduced HAIs by 27% (risk ratio 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.57-0.94; I
conclusionGiven the clinical and economic costs of HAIs, the potentially protective effect of copper treatment appears to be important. The current evidence is insufficient to make a strong positive recommendation. However, it would appear worthwhile and urgent to conduct larger publicly funded clinical trials into the impact of copper treatment.
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