Resurgent Health and Medical's Handwashing Systems Removed 99.997% of E-Coli in Laboratory Studies

GOLDEN, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Resurgent Health and Medical, a leader in automated handwashing and sanitizing technology, announced today that independent clinical laboratory studies showed that Resurgent’s handwashing systems removed 99.997% of E-Coli, a marker organism used to test the efficacy of Resurgent’s hand hygiene products. The studies were performed in June 2008 at BioScience Laboratories in Bozeman, MT.

“We are thrilled with the results of the many studies we have performed over the years and particularly pleased with our recent clinical results that demonstrate the effectiveness of our technology in cleaning and sanitizing hands”, said Jim Glenn, CEO of Resurgent Health and Medical. “There is a growing awareness of the problem of poor hand hygiene practices in the health care and food industries and of the infections and illnesses caused world wide by the failure to observe basic hand washing guidelines. Our goal as a company is to provide a technology and a product line to help in the effort to eliminate these infections and illnesses, and we are very pleased with our recent round of clinical testing that demonstrates just how effective our products are. More and more companies and hospitals throughout the world are adopting our technology as part of their commitment to reduce these risks.”

This study evaluated the performance of Resurgent’s IC automated hand cleansing system set for a total cycle length of 12 seconds using 5 ml Chlorhexidine Gluconate 2% (CHG) antimicrobial agent against E-Coli as the marker organism. The transient microorganism reduction by Resurgent’s automated system was measured at a statistical summary of the mean log10 of 3.49, which equated to a reduction of 99.97% removal of the E-Coli, with some results having a higher log10 of up to 4.54, which equates to a reduction of 99.997% removal of the organism. These studies involve rigorous testing by an independent laboratory using up to 16 human test subjects in an environment intended to duplicate conditions found in health care and food industry environments. Unlike in vitro studies, these clinical studies demonstrate the effectiveness of Resurgent’s products in actual use.

The testing methods are based on the methodology specified by the Food and Drug Administration Tentative Final Monograph (TFM) for Effectiveness Testing of an Antiseptic Handwash or Health-Care Personnel Handwash (FR59:116, 17 June 94, pp. 31448-31450) and ASTM E 1174 Standard Test method for Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Healthcare Personnel Handwash Formulations.

The CleanTech touchless system performs a fully-automated twelve-second wash, sanitize and rinse cycle. Using Resurgent’s proprietary Chlorhexidine Gluconate 2% (CHG2%) sanitizing solution, Resurgent’s hand hygiene products remove over 99.9% of pathogens and continue to kill germs for up to six hours. The FDA certified CHG-based sanitizer contains mild skin conditioners to continuously improve skin health while removing dangerous germs.

The system further boosts compliance by ensuring a pleasant, uniform hand wash using high-pressure water jets that perform a consistent wash-and-sanitize cycle every time the machines are used.

About Resurgent Health & Medical

Resurgent Health and Medical delivers state of the art employee hygiene technologies to hospitals and healthcare facilities that are serious about infection prevention and the elimination of dangerous pathogens in the healthcare industry. Our patented CleanTech® infection prevention technology brings science and precision to the process of removing dangerous microbes from employee hands. For almost 20 years, CleanTech® brand systems have been used worldwide in agriculture, food processing, food service, cleanroom manufacturing and healthcare. CleanTech uses up to 75% less water than manual handwashing, discharges 75% less wastewater, and reduces waste in soap utilization.

For more information, visit http://www.resurgenthealth.com/
Press release taken from Business Wire

Scotland calls for ban on hand gels, encouraging adequate handwashing facilities to replace them

One of Scotland's most senior doctors, Dr Charles Saunders, head of the British Medical Association's Consultants' Committee in Scotland, has called for a ban on hand sanitizing gels. He says that while they were put into hospitals to help protect against MRSA and to encourage better hand hygiene, the gels don't actually help to prevent C.diff.

Dr. Saunders has said that the dispensers cause confusion about adequate hand hygiene and infection control, and many doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff members don't know that the gels are "ineffective". In fact, "lack of knowledge among healthcare staff about the ineffectiveness of the gels may be one of the reasons for Scotland's appalling C diff figures."

'"In terms of preventing the spread of infection, the most important and effective method is hand-washing, whatever the organism. People should be washing their hands after touching each patient. The problem is that some hospitals do not have adequate facilities for handwashing, which is one of the issues highlighted in the report into Vale of Leven,"' Dr. Saunders has said. '"Staff have been told that they could use alcohol gel instead of washing their hands. That is not a good message to give people. They should be told they should wash their hands, but a lot of wards have dispensers when they should have more hand-basins. What would make sense would be for hospitals to remove the dispensers and replace them with adequate hand-washing facilities in wards and clinical areas."'

Information taken from the Scotland on Sunday article: http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/health/Call-for-ban-on-superbug.4398723.jp

'Clean Hands are Cool Hands' PSA debuts nationwide encouraging healthy hand hygiene in time for Back to School

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- The HCA Foundation, the
philanthropic arm of Nashville-based hospital company Hospital Corporation of
America (HCA), today announced the launch of the "Clean Hands are Cool Hands"
Back to School campaign to prevent the spread of Methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), a common yet highly contagious bacteria that
frequently inhabits a person's skin or nostrils.  HCA teamed up with popular
teen actor and recording artist Mitchel Musso, best known for his role as
"Oliver" in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, to create a public
service announcement educating kids and their parents on the importance of
hand washing to prevent the spread of MRSA in schools.


"I am happy to be a part of this important campaign to prevent the spread
of MRSA and help raise awareness among my fans and kids of all ages to stay
healthy," said Musso. "Hopefully they will see me in this PSA and get the
message that clean hands are cool and most importantly are less likely to
spread germs."


Because of its resistance to antibiotics, MRSA accounts for 19,000 deaths
in the United States each year, 86% of which are healthcare-associated and 14%
which are community acquired.(1)  HCA's 169 hospitals across the nation, under
the leadership of Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, have
implemented more aggressive infection prevention protocols to tackle this
issue.


"The growing prevalence of MRSA in hospitals and communities, including in
schools, is creating new challenges for the healthcare community," said
Perlin. "It is important to make parents and kids aware of the little things
they can do at home and at school to prevent its spread, such as washing their
hands with soap and water or using a hand sanitizer."


The 30-second television PSA was shot in July in Los Angeles, California
and features Musso interacting in an animated world of everyday items that can
pass on germs and make us sick. Musso emphasizes how easy it is to come in
contact with germs throughout the day and how something as simple as washing
your hands can dramatically reduce the spread of these germs and help prevent
the illnesses that they can cause.


"We chose to partner with Mitchel due to his popularity and appeal to our
target audience -- young kids, tweens, teens and even parents," Joanne Pulles,
Executive Director for the HCA Foundation. "MRSA is becoming an increasing
concern and cause for absence in schools, and we think Mitchel's participation
in this campaign will help deliver the message that hand washing is the single
most effective and simplest way to prevent its spread."


The PSA aimed at kids in grades K-4, is set to debut later this month on
television stations across the United States.  Dr. Perlin and Mitchel Musso
will also be promoting the campaign through broadcast media tours, TV
appearances, and kick-off events in cities throughout the country, including
Las Vegas, Nashville and Tampa.



Images from the PSA will be featured on The Reuters Sign in Times Square
and information on the campaign will be available online starting August 15 at
www.cleanhandsarecoolhands.com. The site provides a fun, interactive place for
kids and parents to learn about MRSA and how to prevent its spread, digital
downloads of pictures and videos, as well as a streaming file of the PSA.



About The HCA Foundation and HCA


The HCA Foundation was established by Nashville-based hospital company
Hospital Corporation of America. (HCA) to provide leadership, service, and
financial support to non-profit organizations. As the philanthropic arm of
HCA, its mission is to promote health and well being, support childhood and
youth development and foster the arts in Middle Tennessee and beyond. The HCA
Foundation supports organizations that have a well-defined sense of purpose, a
demonstrated commitment to maximizing available resources and a reputation for
meeting objectives and delivering quality services with caring and compassion.
Actively providing grants since 1998, The HCA Foundation has contributed more
than $119M in grants to more than 200 agencies and organizations. Additional
information on the Foundation is available at www.hcacaring.org.



HCA Inc. is the nation's leading health care services provider. It
operates 169 hospitals and 113 surgery centers in 20 states, and England
(including eight hospitals and nine freestanding surgery centers operated
through equity method joint ventures).


Press Release from: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/hca-foundation-teams-up-with,503443.shtml

EU Warns about C.diff

The EU has called for existing infection control guidelines to be reviewed after a new strain of C.diff has been discovered in Austria, Denmark, Hungary, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden, and Scotland. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has asked that EU member countries take precautions to avoid the disease. These include "early diagnosis, surveillance, education of staff, appropriate isolation precautions, hand hygiene, use of protective clothing, environmental cleaning and cleaning of medical equipment, good antibiotic stewardship, and specific measures during outbreaks".

The ECDC reminds that C.diff is "the leading cause of diarrhoea in hospitals" and although it is difficult to control, the organization believes that rigorous infection control policies can help. The ECDC reported that they are "currently financing a pan-European surveillance study to estimate the incidence of hospital and community acquired C. difficile." The results are expected sometime in 2009.

To read more, visit:
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2008/0801/breaking25.htm
http://www.hdmagazine.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=16&storyCode=2048305

Meritech's CleanTech(R) ELF and CleanTech(R) IC receive NSF International Approval

GOLDEN, Colo., Aug 05, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Meritech, Inc., a division of Resurgent Health and Medical and a leader in automated handwashing and sanitizing technology, announces that the newest CleanTech ELF (Extremely Low Footprint) and CleanTech IC (Infection Control) have received NSF International (NSF) approval.

NSF International, The Public Health and Safety Company(TM), a not-for-profit, non-governmental organization, is the world leader in standards development, product certification, education and risk-management for public health and safety. The ELF and the IC join in NSF approval with the currently approved CleanTech 400. The CleanTech Automated Handwashing systems are most commonly used in restaurant, hospitality, and healthcare environments.

"Our number one priority is safety and efficiency and this validates our commitment to our customers and our products," said Jim Glenn, CEO of Meritech. "We continue to take whatever measures we need to provide products that insure the safety of the industries and the public they serve."

The CleanTech touchless system performs a fully-automated ten to twelve-second wash, sanitize and rinse cycle. Using Meritech's proprietary Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG) sanitizing solution, the single cycle removes over 99.9% of pathogens and continues to kill germs for up to six hours. The FDA certified CHG-based hand soap contains mild skin conditioners to continuously improve skin health while removing dangerous germs. The system further boosts compliance by ensuring a pleasant, uniform handwash using high-pressure water jets that perform a consistent wash-and-sanitize cycle every time the machines are used.

To receive more information on these models and Meritech's other automated hand and bootwashing equipment, please call (800) 932-7707 or go to www.meritech.com OR www.resurgenthealth.com

About NSF International

About NSF International: NSF International, an independent, not-for-profit organization, helps protect you by certifying products and writing standards for food, water and consumer goods ( www.nsf.org). Founded in 1944, NSF is committed to protecting public health and safety worldwide. NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety and Indoor Environment. Additional services include safety audits for the food and water industries, management systems registrations delivered through NSF International Strategic Registrations, organic certification provided by Quality Assurance International and education through the NSF Center for Public Health Education.

About Meritech

Meritech, Inc., a division of Resurgent Health and Medical of Golden, Colo., is the leader in automated handwashing and sanitizing technology. For almost 20 years, its CleanTech(R) brand systems have been used worldwide in food processing, food service, healthcare, hospitality and clean room manufacturing. CleanTech uses up to 75% less water than manual handwashing, discharges 75% less wastewater, and reduces waste in soap utilization. For more information, visit www.meritech.com.

Germs at the office: How to protect yourself

The average office has hundreds of times more bacteria than a toilet seat. The "enter" button on your office fax machine is probably a rank stew of vile bacteria. And here's a controversial bit — women spread more germs in the workplace than men.

Those are some of the findings of America's leading expert on work and home hygiene, Charles Gerba, a professor of microbiology at the University of Arizona.

Before women take offence, the higher germ concentration is proof that women have a healthier diet than men. Women, Gerba found, tend to store apples, bananas and other biodegradable, healthy food at their desk while men go for less nutritious and therefore less germ-ridden junk food, such as gum or potato chips.

Over the past two years, Gerba and his team have seen an improvement in overall office hygiene as desk wipes and hand cleaners become more popular.

However, in these summer months, with air-conditioning units and ventilation shafts a good breeding ground for bacteria, there are a number of points experts want you to be aware of. His first precaution? WASH.

Washing your hands for 20 seconds under soap and running water is far better than a quick squirt of hand sanitizer at your desk, says Dean Cliver, a professor of food safety at the University of California.

While many hand sanitizers boast of anti-microbial properties, a scrub with ordinary soap is far better, Cliver said. Water penetrates much deeper, helping to remove food debris and other particles that hand sanitizer just doesn't reach.

Read the full article for more hygiene tips http://canadianpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5ju_F6f2dsDY4YiX8xIecViKe-Yng

Antibacterial Agent No Better Than Soap & Water

...and It's ToxicPesticide in Toothpaste, Shower Curtains, Cutting Boards Could Harm Baby's Health

WASHINGTON - July 17 - It's a toxic pesticide that may be in your child's toothpaste and toys, in your bed, kitchen counters and clothing. It's supposed to kill germs, but is really no better than soap and water, and could harm your baby's health.

Triclosan is an antibacterial agent used in many everyday products including liquid hand soap, dishwashing detergent, mattresses, shower curtains, bathtubs, and cutting boards. Federal agencies continue to allow its use despite the fact it may be toxic to the developing fetus and child, and pollutes mothers' breast milk.

For a study released today, Environmental Working Group (EWG) scientists dug through industry documents, independent studies, and government data, and found no evidence that triclosan's widespread use gives consumers the increased germ-killing benefits the products promise. Still, it is touted by leading brands like Softsoap, Dial, and Bath & Body Works, and listed on the labels of almost half of 259 hand soaps. EWG's investigation is at http://www.ewg.org/reports/triclosan

A toxic pesticide linked to serious health problems should not be in our soap or toothpaste, said EWG Staff Scientist Rebecca Sutton, PhD. It's time to ban triclosan from all personal care and household products.

Triclosan has been linked to cancer in lab animals, has been targeted for removal from some stores in Europe for its health and environmental risks, and the American Medical Association recommends against its use in the home. It is also linked to liver and inhalation toxicity, and low levels of triclosan may disrupt the thyroid hormone system. Thyroid hormones are essential to proper growth and development, particularly for brain growth in utero and during infancy.

Triclosan breaks down into very toxic chemicals, including a form of dioxin; methyl triclosan, which is acutely toxic to aquatic life; and chloroform, a carcinogen formed when triclosan mixes with tap water that has been treated with chlorine. Scientists surveyed 85 U.S. rivers and streams, and found traces of triclosan in more than half.

As required by law, the Environmental Protection Agency is now reviewing health and safety data for triclosan. This is a critical process that could lead to the stringent health and environmental protections needed to reduce exposure to this toxic antimicrobial agent. However, EPA's draft risk assessment of triclosan raises serious concerns: Plagued with data gaps and inconsistencies, the assessment was crafted to support the status quo.

The AMA is concerned that antibacterial agents like triclosan may contribute to the serious problem of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Until these agents have been proven to be beneficial, we should remove them from consumer products said Dr. Anila Jacob, MD, EWG Senior Scientist. "The widespread use of this pesticide without proven benefit exposes people and the environment to a potentially toxic chemical."

Article from http://www.commondreams.org/news2008/0717-03.htm