The company says the "Paint-Shield" line is designed to kill 99.9
percent of bacteria after two hours of exposure on painted surfaces. The
paint has been certified with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
for being an "antimicrobial paint" and killing dangerous bacteria
including those that can cause staph, MRSA (Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus) and E. coli infections.
Sherwin-Williams said in a statement that its new paint “has passed
rigorous EPA test protocol conducted by third party EPA inspected GLP
labs.”
Hospital infections affect hundreds of thousands of patients every year in the U.S. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
722,000 patients had acquired an infection while in the hospital in
2011 alone (the most recent data available). Of those 722,000 patients,
75,000 of them died during their hospitalizations, although the CDC does
not cite specific causes of deaths.
Infectious disease experts say they are curious how the Sherwin-Williams
paint will work in real settings and express caution that the overall
benefits may come in below expectations given that many patients are
infected by other patients.
Dr. Anthony Harris, a professor of epidemiology and public health at the
University of Maryland, said that most hospital-acquired infections
occur when a medical staff member transmits a pathogen, either a
bacteria or virus, from one patient to another.
For patients with a highly-resistant bacteria, "20 to 30 percent of the
time [the patient's room] is contaminated" with bacteria, Harris
explained.
Harris, who is also the head of the Society for Healthcare and
Epidemiology of America, said he wants the Sherwin-Williams paint tested
in a real-world hospital setting before recommending the product.
"Obviously hospital epidemiologists are interested in any way to
decrease bacterial contamination in that person’s room as long as it’s
cost effective," said Harris.
"These types of inventions are desperately needed…to prevent
transmission [of resistant bacteria,]" Harris continued. "[But they]
need to be tested in real world setting before widespread adoption."
Dr. William Schaffner, an infectious disease expert at Vanderbilt
University School of Medicine, noted that the focus right now in
hospitals has been on cutting down infections through "interpersonal
interactions." Schaffner said medical staff should be monitored for how
often they wash and disinfect their hands before and after leaving a
patient's room.
In rooms with patients who have a compromised immune system, Schaffner
said inanimate surfaces are disinfected and anyone visiting the patient
wears special gear so new bacteria or viruses are not introduced to the
patient.
"Maybe in that circumstance [the paint] will add another small measure
of projection," said Schaffner. "Every little bit helps. I’m glad
everyone is trying to help us do better to try and help our patients."
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