The antimicrobial application of copper in health care is becoming more evident

Although there is considerable in vitro research supporting the antimicrobial properties of copper, there is still a paucity of in vivo studies.

With the advancement of research toward clinical studies, the antimicrobial application of copper in health care is becoming more evident. The continuous and rapid broad-spectrum biocidal properties of both copper-containing hard surfaces and soft surfaces such as textiles and polymers may offer a novel and innovative advancement in the battle against health care-associated infections. Although traditional infection prevention practices should not be abandoned, copper-coated surfaces and textiles could increase their effectiveness.

This review has provided an overview of the current evidence of the antimicrobial and wound-healing properties of copper and explored its potential uses in obstetrics and gynecology. Although some studies provide evidence for clinical applications of copper in a health care setting, more robust clinical, randomized, controlled research is needed to further confirm the use of various copper-impregnated (medical) products for the prevention of infection.

Within obstetrics and gynecology, copper-impregnated products may be useful for infection prevention, e.g., copper-impregnated wound dressings for the prevention of surgical site infection following cesarean section and other abdominal gynecological surgeries; copper-impregnated incontinence pads for the prevention of wound infection after perineal suturing (following vaginal delivery or vaginal surgery), for the prevention of UTIs associated with the use of incontinence pads, and for the treatment of vaginitis; copper-containing IUDs, which may have a protective ability against chlamydia and HPV infection; and copper-impregnated urinary catheters for the prevention of UTIs associated with long-term catheterization. As sepsis is one of the major causes of maternal mortality, the introduction of copper-impregnated materials in the health care setting could have a dramatic impact on the reduction of infections. Given the emerging and constant resistance to antibiotics, copper provides a nonpharmacological alternative in terms of both prevention and treatment of infections. The impact of these benefits is likely to be greater in low-resource countries where access to medicine, especially antibiotics, is limited.

（To be continued）

Copy from cmr.asm.org

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