Self-disinfecting Surfaces: Review of Current Methodologies and Future Prospects

Methods to improve disinfection of environmental surfaces in hospital rooms include improving cleaning/disinfection by environmental service workers through education and feedback on cleaning effectiveness (eg, use of fluorescent dyes), "no-touch" methods (eg, UV-C light), and self-disinfecting surfaces. Self-disinfecting surfaces can be created by impregnating or coating surfaces with heavy metals (eg, silver or copper), germicides (eg, triclosan), or miscellaneous methods (eg, light-activated antimicrobials). These methods are under active investigation but to date have not been assessed for their ability to reduce health care-associated infections.