Medical facilities can be a breeding ground for harmful bacteria and infections; that’s why it’s important to design your dental office, imaging center, ambulatory surgery center or other healthcare facility with a focus on providing updated antimicrobial protection on all touchable surfaces in order to prevent hospital acquired infection.
One of the biggest threats facing hospitals and healthcare environments today is the high risk of infection among patients, physicians, and visitors. Healthcare associated infections occur when patients visiting an outpatient surgery center, MRI lab, ASC, dentist office, or other doctor’s appointment become contaminated with microorganisms under their doctor’s care.
What coatings should I use?
Any medical space in your facility has the potential of becoming a hotbed of infectious disease, and should be treated as such with protective coatings, such as copper, silver, lubricants, plastics, or hydrophilic surface elements. To find the best types of antimicrobial coatings for your medical facility, speak to an experienced medical construction expert. He can show you ways to add antimicrobial surfaces to your waiting room, medical office, or other patient areas at the lowest cost possible.What surfaces should be covered?
Here’s a checklist of frequently-touched hospital surfaces that should be treated with antimicrobial protection:Medical construction elements
- Hand railings
- Door handles
- Counter tops
- Roofing
- Flooring materials, carpeting
- Wallpaper, wall laminate coatings
- Electrical fixtures (light switches, switch plates)
- Elevator panels
Furniture
- Waiting room and office chairs
- Exam tables
- Beds
- Desks
- Lounge areas
- Children’s play areas
- Medical imaging machinery (MRI, x-ray, mammography, ultrasound, CAT)
Sanitation
- Bathroom floors
- Toilets
- Faucets
- Bathroom counters
- Soap and paper towel dispensers
- Antimicrobial gel dispensers
- Electric hand dryers
Medical facility equipment
- Instrument trays
- IV stands
- Wheelchairs
- Pacemakers
- Dental devices
- Lab equipment
- Catheters
Textiles
- Hospital bed sheets, blankets
- Towels
- Medical scrubs
- Patient gowns
- Lab coats
- Curtain dividers
- Furniture upholstery
Office equipment
- Telephones
- Keyboards
- Reception desks
- Printers