Study Shows Antimicrobial Fabric Fights Spread of Pathogens on Contaminated Privacy Curtains

In a new study presented at the 112th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in San Francisco, Shield® fabrics reduced 99.9 percent of bacteria within one hour, eliminating almost all the microorganisms that contaminate hospital curtains. Dr. Guiqing Wang and Alexander Kryszuk, two researchers from the New York Medical College (NYMC) in Valhalla, N.Y., completed the study of Shield®, a fabric that reduces the contamination of hospital privacy curtains.

The NYMC researchers found that, when compared to the standard-fabric and non-fabric control samples, the Shield® fabrics demonstrated significant antimicrobial effectiveness against the pathogens, including multidrug-resistant microorganisms such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE) and the common MDR Gram-negative bacilli examined.

Our customers have told us time and again the importance of clean surfaces, says Mark Alan, senior vice president of product management and development for InPro. We saw the potential in Shield® and have met the needs of the industry by reducing the risk of cross-contamination.

Wang concluded that Shield fabrics can play a role in reducing contamination of privacy curtains in hospital environments. InPro Corporation funded the study through a grant to NYMC, and is the sole North American distributor of Shield® fabrics.