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Instant steam takes on MRSA
July 30, 2007A method for making instant steam, without the need for electricity, promises to be useful for tackling antibiotic resistant 'superbugs' like MRSA and C. difficile, as well as removing chewing gum from pavements and powering environmentally friendly cars, reports Nina Morgan in Chemistry & Industry, the magazine of the SCI. 'The value of instant steam lies in creating truly portable steam that can be generated intermittently on demand,' says Dave Wardle, business development director at Oxford Catalysts.
The company is already in talks with UK specialist steam supplier OspreyDeepclean about possible applications for steam cleaning hospitals, Wardle adds. An as-yet unpublished 2006 study at University College London Hospital, commissioned by OspreyDeepclean, showed that dry steam applied at temperatures ranging from 150 to 180 C could destroy bacteria, including MRSA and Clostridium difficile, in less than two seconds, without the use of chemicals.
The new technology, devised by scientists at UK firm Oxford Catalysts, employs a precious metal catalyst to generate the steam at temperatures up to 800 C in just a couple of seconds, at room temperature and pressure. Steam produced by the technology is so-called 'dry' steam, generated by the highly exothermic reaction between methanol and hydrogen peroxide. While too expensive to replace the vast quantities of steam used routinely by industry, a reaction chamber the size of a sugar cube can pump steam at a rate of 7L/minute at temperatures up to 800 C.
The first application is likely to be a GumBuster backpack for removing chewing gum from pavements and other surfaces. The patented GumBuster technology currently requires a minimum of 3kW of electrical power to generate the steam used by each operator and relies on generators carried on trolleys or vans. Use of the catalyst technology 'will make the system more portable and make it possible to place the steam when we need it, where we need it,' says Thomas Stuecken, chief commercial officer at Proventec, the parent company of OspreyDeepclean.
Other more speculative applications for the steam for powering rockets and cars, and to provide mobile and portable power generation, are currently being considered.
Society of Chemical Industry
The first application is likely to be a GumBuster backpack for removing chewing gum from pavements and other surfaces. The patented GumBuster technology currently requires a minimum of 3kW of electrical power to generate the steam used by each operator and relies on generators carried on trolleys or vans. Use of the catalyst technology 'will make the system more portable and make it possible to place the steam when we need it, where we need it,' says Thomas Stuecken, chief commercial officer at Proventec, the parent company of OspreyDeepclean.
Other more speculative applications for the steam for powering rockets and cars, and to provide mobile and portable power generation, are currently being considered.
Society of Chemical Industry
MRSA Current Events and MRSA News RSSU.S. and European Experts Applaud Creation of New Transatlantic Task Force on Global Antibiotic Resistance Threat
Experts on both sides of the Atlantic applaud President Barack Obama and Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, representing the European Union (EU) Presidency, for establishing a transatlantic task force to address antibiotic resistance, an urgent and growing problem that threatens patient safety and public health worldwide.
Henry Ford Hospital study: A MRSA strain linked to high death rates
A strain of MRSA that causes bloodstream infections is five times more lethal than other strains and has shown to have some resistance to the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin used to treat MRSA, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
U of T researchers create microchip that can detect type and severity of cancer
U of T researchers have used nanomaterials to develop a microchip sensitive enough to quickly determine the type and severity of a patient's cancer so that the disease can be detected earlier for more effective treatment.
How manuka honey helps fight infection
Manuka honey may kill bacteria by destroying key bacterial proteins. Dr Rowena Jenkins and colleagues from the University of Wales Institute - Cardiff investigated the mechanisms of manuka honey action and found that its anti-bacterial properties were not due solely to the sugars present in the honey.
Mounting a multi-layered attack on fungal infections
Unravelling a microbe's multilayer defence mechanisms could lead to effective new treatments for potentially lethal fungal infections in cancer patients and others whose natural immunity is weakened.
Genes key to staph disease severity, drug resistance found hitchhiking together
Scientists studying Staphylococcus bacteria, including methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), have discovered a potent staph toxin responsible for disease severity.
Researchers map how staph infections alter immune system
Infectious disease specialists at UT Southwestern Medical Center have mapped the gene profiles of children with severe Staphylococcus aureus infections, providing crucial insight into how the human immune system is programmed to respond to this pathogen and opening new doors for improved therapeutic interventions.
Soap-sniffing technology encourages hand washing to reduce hospital-acquired infections, save money
Using sensors capable of detecting drugs in breath, new technology developed at University of Florida monitors health-care workers' hand hygiene by detecting sanitizer or soap fumes given off from their hands.
One in four nursing home residents carries MRSA
MRSA is a major problem in nursing homes with one in four residents carrying the bacteria, a study by Queen's University Belfast and Antrim Area Hospital has found.
Study finds unexpected bacterial diversity on human skin
The health of our skin - one of the body's first lines of defense against illness and injury - depends upon the delicate balance between our own cells and the millions of bacteria and other one-celled microbes that live on its surface.
More MRSA Current Events and MRSA News Articles
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MRSA and Staphylococcal Infections, Second Edition by M.D., Hernan R. Chang (Author) Despite the large amount of information available through books, Internet sites, and libraries, more and more people with staphylococcal and MRSA infections present to their primary care physicians offices, urgent care centers, and emergency rooms. The disease seems to continue to spread. Most people with a history of MRSA colonization get a reassuring answer when they ask about their contagiousness. The plain truth is that you are potentially contagious. In order to understand the magnitude of this epidemic and to realize how the appearance of MRSA has and will influence our lives and our culture, consider the classic handshake. The handshake will never again be the same after MRSA. The information presented in this book is intended to provide a general understanding of MRSA and... |
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MRSA-Killer Bug. What you need to know to protect yourself. by MD FACP Bertha S. Ayi (Author) This is a concise, authoritative and timely book which explains the recent increase in Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in the US and around the world. It is a great resource for understanding the symptoms, transmission, treatment and prevention of these infections. Healthcare providers and patients alike will find it extremely useful and informative. |
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MRSA by John A. Weigelt (Editor) Responding to the growing concern about the increased frequency and resistance of MRSA infections, this invaluable source analyzes the latest developments in the identification, assessment, and management of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) by leading authorities on the topic. |
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Hibiclens Antimicrobial and Antiseptic Skin Cleanser Liquid - 32 oz by REGENT MEDICAL. INDICATIONS: Hibiclens ANtimicrobial and Antiseptic Skin Cleanser Liquid has antiseptic activity and a persistent animicrobial effect with rapid bactericidal activity against a wide range of microorganisms. |
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MRSA GIANT MICROBES by Giant Microbes GIANTmicrobes are stuffed animals that look like tiny microbes only a million times actual size! They're humorous, educational, and fun! Each of our GIANTmicrobes comes with an image and information about the real microbe it represents. They make great learning tools, as well as amusing gifts for anyone with a sense of humor. Approx. 6" |
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MRSA and Staphylococcal Infections by M.D., Hernan R. Chang (Author) We are witnessing a worldwide increase in infections with Staphylococcus aureus, commonly called S. aureus, or simply "Staph." Many of these infections are due to invasive strains of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). People not involved in a healthcare setting are often not aware of this silent epidemic. This lack of awareness includes the significance and danger of "community-acquired" MRSA infections and their potential threat to the healthcare system. The contents of this book are geared to the reader who does not have a medical or healthcare industry background. The information presented is intended to provide a general understanding about Staph infections. In order to curb the worldwide menace of Staph and MRSA infections, a significant behavioral change is needed. A... |
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Understanding MRSA: Super Staph Infections For the past 60 years, antibiotics have rescued countless lives from potentially deadly bacterial infections -- but the germs are learning to fight back. Infections that don't respond to traditional antibiotics are on the rise across the country. One of the most common of these mutant pathogens is known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus or MRSA. Unlike common staph infections, MRSA cannot be treated with methicillin, amoxicillin or many related antibiotics. MRSA can strike anyone, although hospital patients are the most vulnerable. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that in intensive care units, 65 percent of all staph infections are now caused by MRSA. While researchers scramble to create new antibiotics, experts are stressing steps to prevent MRSA from... |
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MRSA - Spider Bites: The Flesh-Eating Bacterial Epidemic That Threatens America by Hernan R. Chang (Author) This is a work of fiction on an important contemporary medical topic. It relates the vicissitudes of three persons suddenly stricken by virulent infections with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). John, Britney and Peter had an initial skin lesion very similar to a 'spider bite.' They realized later that it was not a spider but an aggressive bacterium responsible for causing the lesion. This book gives you the details of their hospitalization and subsequent survival or demise. This book is also a narrative about the potential public health crisis of community-acquired MRSA infections. These infections sometimes evolve to become a 'flesh-eating' illness. Often presenting as 'spider bite' lesions, the current epidemic is occurring in a silent and dangerous manner. Important... |
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Good Germs, Bad Germs: Health and Survival in a Bacterial World by Jessica Snyder Sachs (Author) Making Peace with Microbes Public sanitation and antibiotic drugs have brought about historic increases in the human life span; they have also unintentionally produced new health crises by disrupting the intimate, age-old balance between humans and the microorganisms that inhabit our bodies and our environment. As a result, antibiotic resistance now ranks among the gravest medical problems of modern times. Good Germs, Bad Germs addresses not only this issue but also what has become known as the “hygiene hypothesis”— an argument that links the over-sanitation of modern life to now-epidemic increases in immune and other disorders. In telling the story of what went terribly wrong in our war on germs, Jessica Snyder Sachs explores our emerging understanding of the symbiotic... |
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