Efficacy of integrated bacteriostatic additive in shower hoses

Standing water in shower hoses poses a microbiological threat to immunocompromised patients in hospitals, care homes, and other healthcare facilities. Silver-based bacteriostatic additives, integrated in the hose material, can significantly reduce biofilm formation. A laboratory study conducted by Professor Anthony Hilton of Aston University compared T-Safe Antibacterial Hoses containing a silver-based bacteriostatic additive with additive-free control hoses exposed to standing mixed water for 12 weeks in terms of bacterial growth, including of Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa). While the control hoses showed a bacterial colonisation of over 350,000 cfu/mL with all microorganisms, and of 40,000 cfu/mL for P. aeruginosa, the T-Safe Antibacterial Hose reduced the mean aerobic bacterial count by 93-99% over a five-week period, and by 88.5-91% from week 8 to 12, compared with the control hoses; P. aeruginosa counts were down by 95.5% for week 8, and by 53% for week 12. Thus, antimicrobial hoses incorporating a silver-based bacteriostatic additive show promise in reducing the risk of microbiological contamination and infection from pathogenic bacteria.

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