Did you know that copper can destroy germs and reduce infection risks?

In its new patient care tower, Lexington Medical Center has installed copper to reduce the risk and spread of infections.

There is copper coating on all “high-touch areas” such as door handles, toilet flushers, sink faucets and IV poles, reported the hospital’s Jennifer Wilson.

Lexington Medical Center is working with a copper industry representative about copper-coated bed rails.

The hospital may copper coat the arms of visitor chairs, Wilson said.

A researcher at the Medical University of South Carolina found this solution to infection, one of hospitals’ toughest problems.

Michael Schmidt believes that adding copper, which has natural bacteria-killing power, helps reduce the rate of infections acquired during hospital stays. A clinical trial showed the strategy could reduce infections 58%.

Better data, new technologies and greater accountability have helped improve infection prevention, but infections are still common. About 1 in 25 patients contract hospital infections.

BedTechs has figured out how to outfit plastic beds with a liquid copper-nickel spray. The process has a price tag of about $2,000.

New hospital beds cost $5,000 to $40,0000.

Peter Sharpe said a hospital bed will average about 2 infections a year, each costing $8,000 to $40,000.