[Oxygen Therapy comes to the rescue.]
Vapour machine beats MRSA
Daily Mail Dec 1, 2004
A MACHINE that can wipe out MRSA in a matter of hours is being hailed as the latest breakthrough in the fight against the hospital superbug.
It destroys the killer bacteria by pumping out a vapour that covers every surface in a hospital ward. The colourless vapour consists of a chemical called hydrogen peroxide, a type of bleach. Tests carried out over a four-year period at hospitals such as St Thomas' Hospital in London, show the vapour destroys 99 per cent of dangerous organisms.
Now the device, Bioquell, has been approved for use by scientists from the Department of Health. Health Secretary John Reid announced last week that three products had been given the go-ahead. As well as the Bioquell machine, special catheters with a silver coating to reduce infections and also a range of gels, called Ebiox, for cleaning hands, will be introduced.
MRSA — or methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus — has become a major issue for the NHS as league tables show some of our most prestigious hospitals have the highest rates of infection. The National Audit Office estimates that at least 5,000 people a year die from infections picked up while in hospital. One of Bioquell's biggest advantages is that, while it destroys bacteria, it has no effect on sensitive hospital equipment.