Antimicrobial Copper-Impregnated Soft Surfaces

Studies in a clinical setting have been performed only more recently.

Gabbay et al. reported the first study using copper oxide-impregnated socks and sheets. The copper-impregnated sheets were tested in a clinical setting on a general internal medicine hospital ward, where 30 patients slept overnight on regular sheets and copper-impregnated sheets were used the following night.

They reported that bacterial colonization was significantly lower on copper sheets than on regular sheets. A study population of 100 individuals with tinea pedis were asked to wear copper oxide-impregnated socks on a daily basis and to stop antifungal treatment. All 100 individuals reported a complete relief of symptoms of burning and itching within 1 to 3 days of wearing the socks. The skin affected by tinea pedis significantly improved within a week.

Subsequently, the same team in Israel conducted another study on copper oxide-impregnated socks. Fifty-six patients with severe tinea pedis were asked to wear normal socks for the first week and continue wearing copper socks from the second week onwards in the absence of any other treatment. Follow-up results after averages of 9 days and 40 days showed either improvement or resolution of symptoms of tinea pedis (erythema, fissuring, vesicular eruptions, scaling, and burning and itching) for the whole cohort. No adverse reactions to the copper-impregnated socks were identified. These results were then confirmed in a study using photographs taken in the previous study and quantitatively measuring them with a computer program.

An unplanned study was carried out in 2010 when 33 miners were trapped for 69 days in a mine in Chile. The miners suffered from severe fungal skin problems, mainly of their feet. An antifungal cream was delivered to the trapped miners, but the cream application was unsuccessful. Therefore, after more than a month, copper oxide-impregnated socks were delivered, and this proved to be effective. After rescue, it was noted that the miners’ skin condition was exceptionally good given the circumstances in which they were trapped.

In 2013, a study on the use of copper oxide-impregnated socks for the protection of soldiers’ feet was published. Fifty-three soldiers filled out a questionnaire after wearing the socks for 3 weeks during intensive basic training. The majority reported a significant reduction of skin irritation, itching, and dryness of their feet and reduction of foot and sock odor.

（To be continued）

Copy from cmr.asm.org

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