Fighting hospital infections sustainably

An antimicrobial coating for hospital surfaces and equipment made from agricultural waste , developed by AIBN’s Associate Professor Nasim Amiralian is now being trialled in intensive care.

“The technology works by converting green waste, including sugarcane, banana and hemp, into long-lasting, hospital-grade surface protection,” Dr Amiralian said.

The researchers are testing the performance of the coating, named NanoAM, which was designed to improve patient safety and protect hospital staff from microbes, including bacteria and viruses.

NanoAM could prevent healthcare-associated infections such as ‘golden staph,’ which cost Australia’s health system $1 billion every year.

“Acting as a sustainable, self-cleansing and non-toxic shield, the coating kills pathogens and prevents microbial build-up – in turn reducing hospital-acquired infections in vulnerable patients and prolonged hospital stays.”

The trial is underway as part of the Critical Care Research Group’s Intensive Care Unit of the Future at The Prince Charles Hospital, Brisbane, and is funded through The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.

Protecting healthcare workers

“Success for us is not only making a change to patients’ lives,” Dr Amiralian said.

“We are also focused on protecting healthcare workers, who can easily pick up infectious bacteria during patient care, and finding ways to reduce that risk.”

Healthcare associated infections are a major financial burden on Australia’s healthcare system, with infections responsible for 38 per cent of all hospital-acquired complications and contributing to 7000 deaths each year.

Dr Amiralian said Queensland hospitals currently relied on chlorine or bleach-based disinfectants to address infection risk.

“These existing hospital approaches are short-lived – damaging surfaces, fuelling antimicrobial resistance, releasing toxic materials —while generating tonnes of chemical and hazardous healthcare waste across the state every year,” Dr Amiralian said.

Improve patient outcomes

Professor John Fraser from UQ’s Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Director of the Critical Care Research Group, and an intensive care director and clinician, said the technology could lead to not only huge opportunities for Australia, but improved patient outcomes globally.

“For some time, we have recognised the devastating impact hospital-acquired infections can have on patients, often leading to increased use of antibiotics, contributing to antimicrobial resistance,” Professor Fraser said.

“The trial aims to reduce antimicrobial contamination in ICU on surfaces, making the hospital environment safer for patients and their caregivers.

“This is just another example of how world-class collaboration across multidisciplinary teams can lead to major improvements in healthcare and save lives.”

Beyond the hospital

Dr Amiralian said if the trial is successful, the technology could be extended to other healthcare settings and applied to public services including food contact surfaces.

The trial is expected to run for 2 years.

Collaboration and acknowledgements

The NanoAM Trial is conducted in collaboration with partners at The Prince Charles Hospital at Metro North Health and funded through The Prince Charles Hospital Foundation.

AIBN wishes to acknowledge the contributions of Dr Sandya Athukoralalage, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow and Chief Investigator on the NanoAm technology; and Professor John Fraser, Associate Professor Jacky Suen, Dr Oystein Tronstad and Adrian Goldsworthy from The Critical Care Research Group; Dr Andrew Burke, Director, and Janice Geary, Clinical Nurse Consultant of Infectious Disease at The Prince Charles Hospital collaborating investigators on this project.