TextileFuture

Study confirms usefulness of PurThread Hospital Privacy Curtains against superbug

American University of Iowa Research confirms that experimental PurThread antimicrobial technology may play a vital role in decreasing transmissions of healthcare associated pathogens

A first of its kind study conducted by the University Iowa Carver College of Medicine found standard control curtains were eight times more likely to be contaminated with superbug vancomycin resistant enterrococus (VRE) than experimental PurThread privacy curtains which only had one positive VRE culture during the entire study. Additionally, the median time to first contamination of PurThread curtains took seven times longer than control curtains. On average, it took only two days for control curtains to become contaminated with potentially pathogenic bacteria, while PurThread curtains withstood contamination on an average of 14 days. This double-blinded Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) is the first and only peer-reviewed study of its kind to assess the effectiveness of privacy curtains with antimicrobial properties in an active clinical setting. The study titled Novel Hospital Curtains with Antimicrobial Properties: A Randomised, Controlled Trial, has been published online in the Journal of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

PurThread^TM Technologies Inc. is a development-stage company dedicated to using its proprietary antimicrobial technology to help hospitals reduce the bio-burden on hard-to-clean soft surfaces in the patient environment. PurThread is developing linens, privacy curtains, scrubs and doctors’ coats for use in high touch/high risk environments to help to reduce the risk of constantly re-circulating bacteria among different touch points. The company is also exploring opportunities outside of the infection prevention space where its technology may add value.

www.PurThread.com