In the general public’s perception, hospitals, as key sites for health protection, appear to be a “baby-free fortress” for the isolation of bacteria and the elimination of cross-infection if all antibacterial materials are used in their environment. However, this is an area of error, and cross-infection control in hospitals is a complex system engineering exercise, and antibacterial materials, while working, are by no means a panacea.
Antibacterial materials are more widely used in hospital settings, such as medical equipment casings made of antibacterial plastics, antibacterial coatings painted on ward walls, antibacterial fabrics, etc. These materials, which inhibit the growth and reproduction of micro-organisms, such as bacteria and fungi, by releasing anti-bacterial substances, can effectively reduce the adjunct and survival of bacteria in the hospital ‘ s surface environment, reduce the risk of exposure of patients and health-care personnel to pathogenic micro-organisms and, to a certain extent, guarantee the health safety of hospitals. For example, anti-bacterial fluid-conveyers can reduce the risk of exposure to the disease in the hands and the likelihood of its transmission.
It is not realistic, however, to rely solely on antibacterial materials to eliminate cross-infection. First, the transmission of the disease within the hospital is complex and varied, far beyond the use of antibacterial materials. Respiratory strains transmitted by foam between patients, such as influenza virus, tuberculosis bacterium, etc., are difficult to intercept during air flow by antibacterial materials; there are also bacteria transmitted by direct contact, such as platinum-resistant gluccus, which can be transferred from one patient to another through frequent medical operations by the hands of medical personnel, while antibacterial materials cannot prevent the carrying and transmission of the disease when the hands of medical personnel are not clean, and the right hand-sanitation measures, such as a rigorous hand-washing process, are the key means of prevention.
Second, some areas and objects in the hospital environment, due to their special use and frequent contact with personnel, can be significantly less effective with antibacterial materials. For example, the hospital doorknobs, despite the use of anti-bacterial materials, may still be heavily contaminated and live in a short period of time due to frequent inflow and outbursts, and may still be a vector of cross-infection if they are not cleaned on time. Moreover, the long-term use of anti-bacterial materials can make the fungi adaptive and drug-resistant, gradually reducing the inhibitive effect of antibacterial materials on certain strains, leaving gaps in the otherwise effective antibacterial line and raising the risk of cross-infection again.
Moreover, the overall health management system in hospitals is at the heart of the prevention of cross-infection. This includes a strict sterilization isolation regime, a regulated medical waste disposal process, a reasonable ward layout and the design of ventilation systems. Even when hospitals are equipped with a large amount of anti-bacterial material, the risk of cross-infection is not eliminated if the sterilization measures are not strictly enforced, if poor ventilation in the ward leads to air pollution, disease accumulation or the spread of the disease as a result of the random disposal of medical waste. For example, the risk of surgical infections will increase dramatically if the operating theatres simply rely on antibacterial materials and ignore comprehensive pre-operative disinfection and sterile operating norms.
In addition, people ‘ s awareness of and behaviour towards prevention are factors that cannot be overlooked. Health-care providers, patients and their families are unable to prevent the occurrence of cross-infection even if they lack the correct knowledge of infection prevention and control, such as non-compliance with the visiting system, free vomiting in hospitals, and non-cooperation with the sterilization requirements of medical personnel.
The full use of antibacterial materials in hospital settings can help to reduce the risk of cross-infection, but it must not be assumed that cross-infection can be eliminated. We should put in place the right concept, recognizing that hospital cross-infection prevention and control is a comprehensive and systematic effort requiring multiple synergies, such as anti-bacterial materials, health management systems, people ‘ s control awareness and behaviour, to work together to build a strong line of defence to safeguard the health and safety of every patient and health care provider.
