Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34399571›Full record

ArticleThe Korean journal of internal medicine2021

Evaluation of copper alloys for reducing infection by methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium in intensive care unit and in vitro.

Sung Im Choi, Mee Soo Chang, Taeeun Kim, Kyung Hwa Chung, Seongman Bae, Sung-Han Kim, Chan Jin Yoon, Young Kyoon Kim, Jun Hee Woo

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in The Korean journal of internal medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.2field-weighted citation impact, top 46% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Sung Im ChoiDepartment of Internal Medicine, Dongguk University Ilsan Hospital, Goyang, Korea.
Mee Soo ChangDepartment of Pathology, Seoul National University Boramae Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Taeeun KimDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Uijeongbu, Korea.
Kyung Hwa ChungDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Uijeongbu, Korea.
Seongman BaeDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Sung-Han KimDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Chan Jin YoonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Young Kyoon KimDepartment of Internal Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea.
Jun Hee WooDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Uijeongbu Eulji Medical Center, Eulji University, Uijeongbu, Korea.
Eulji University · KRUlsan College · KRDongguk University Ilsan Hospital · KRSeoul National University · KRThe Catholic University of Korea Seoul St. Mary's Hospital · KR

Funding

International Copper Association
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

BACKGROUND/

aimsMulti-drug resistant pathogens are increasing among healthcare-associated infections. It is well known that copper and copper alloys have antimicrobial activity. We evaluated the activity of copper against bacteria in a hospital setting in Korea.

methodsThis study was conducted in a laboratory and medical intensive care unit (ICU). Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) were inoculated onto copper, copper alloy and stainless steel plates. After 24 hours of incubation, colony-forming units (CFU) were counted in the laboratory. Two similar rooms were chosen in the ICU; one room had copper-containing surface, and the other room contained items with a stainless steel surfaces. Items were sampled weekly for 8 weeks when the rooms were not crowded and when the rooms were busier with healthcare workers or visitors.

resultsIn vitro time-kill curves showed copper or, a copper alloy yielded a significant reduction in MRSA and VRE CFUs over 15 minutes. Upon exposure to stainless steel plates, CFUs were slowly reduced for 24 hours. In vivo, MRSA CFUs were lower in rooms with copper-containing surfaces compared with controls, both after cleaning and after patients had received visitors (p < 0.05). Analysis of VRE revealed similar results, but VRE CFUs from copper-containing surfaces of drug carts in the ICU did not decrease significantly.

conclusionCopper has antimicrobial activity and appears to reduce the number of multi-drug resistant microorganisms in a hospital environment. This finding suggests the potential of the use of copper fittings, instruments and surfaces in hospital.

Indexed as

Cross InfectionEnterococcus faeciumGram-Positive Bacterial InfectionsMethicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcal InfectionsAlloysCopperHumansIntensive Care UnitsVancomycinAlloysCopperVancomycinAntibacterial activityCopperIntensive care unitsMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusVancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecium

Identifiers

PMID34399571
PMCPMC8435501
OpenAlexW3196223362

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.