In the United States, healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) result in 100,000 deaths annually and add an estimated $45 billion to healthcare costs. Common HAI microbes that often contaminate items within hospital rooms include methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycinresistant enterococcus (VRE).

Few strategies have been clinically proven to reduce the spread of these infections, but copper’s antimicrobial properties are promising. According to a recent study published in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, placement of bed rails, tables, IV poles and nurse’s call buttons in intensive care unit hospital rooms reduced the number of HAIs in patients by more than half.