Anti-Microbial Does Not Mean Disinfectant-Ready
Incorporating technology into any hospital grade environment brings with it a unique set of challenges that have to be addressed in order to avoid costly mistakes and repairs. As hospital environments become increasingly complex, teams around the country are turning to barcode readers which continue to reliably prove themselves to be an invaluable asset for healthcare providers. With this, comes the challenge of finding devices that complement individual work environments while maintaining the ability to withstand the grueling cleansing process necessary for infection control.
To overcome this challenge, Huzzard Systems is proud to introduce the “Disinfectant-Ready” CR2600 barcode reader as the toughest solution available to healthcare providers. For some, anti-microbial plastics would seem to be the cleanest solution; however, there are many misconceptions surrounding what “anti-microbial” infused plastics offer compared to “disinfectant-ready”. The CR2600 is built using Code Corps proven high-performance “disinfectant-ready” plastics vs. standard consumer grade (monitors, keyboards, etc.) plastic and offers three levels of identification for their “disinfectant-ready” products to help customers make the best choice for their environment.
According to Madison Group, an independent plastics testing company, “sacrificial ‘anti-microbial’ additives wear away with time” meaning the plastic ceases to resist bacteria after prolonged use. In an interview for Plastic News, Manish Nandi, Senior Product Developer for Sabic Innovative Plastics, gave some insight on anti-microbial plastics. He stated that anti-microbial plastics are not a “cure all” for disinfection and that the anti-microbial additives function more as an “insurance policy”. The problem with this “insurance policy” is that it may not be able to withstand the harsh chemicals that are now being used to prevent “Hospital-Acquired Conditions” (HAC) in compliance with the new Affordable Care Act HAC Reduction program which is managed by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare services. Medicare has begun a series of hospital evaluations, which look at several HAC prevention areas and assigns each hospital an HAC score. As of October 1st, 2014, Medicare has begun penalizing hospitals with an insufficient HAC score.
With this heavily increased focus on infection control, it’s imperative to have durable “disinfectant-ready” plastics that can withstand the rigorous and harsh chemical cleansing processes needed within hospitals to promote infection containment and decrease HACs. The CR2600 does just that!
Customers who choose anti-microbial devices on the other hand could potentially pay extra for a device that, over time, will deteriorate from repeated exposure to these harsh chemicals which will result in expensive repairs and replacement costs that could easily be avoided!
Disinfectant-ready materials, such as what is used in the CR2600, will not break down when they’re disinfected. The purpose of having these varied chemical compositions is to withstand different levels of harsh chemical cleanings. Disinfectant resiliency strength varies from product to product in order to accommodate for certain cleansing chemicals, and the CR2600 is the champion of them all! Below is a showcase of the three levels of CodeShield™ “disinfectant-ready” products offered by Code Corp, with the CR2600 leading them all.
Plastics injected with anti-microbial additives resist growth of bacteria for an undetermined amount of time, but don’t serve as a substitute for proper cleansing. Disinfectant cleaners degrade plastics (anti-microbial) that do not have a “disinfectant-ready” chemical composition.
If you’re looking for the best in “disinfectant ready” barcode readers, contact Huzzard Systems today at 920-257-4357 to learn more about what the durable CR2600 can do for you!
