title: Age-old technologies jostle for position.
abstract: With the focus on combating hospital-acquired infection never greater, debate over the respective merits of using silver ion and copper-based anti-microbial surface treatments to "beat the bugs" will no doubt continue as new study evidence emerges for each. Health Estate Journal highlights the contrasting claims made by both "sides", and reports on two recent studies in particular, one expounding the advantages of copper, and the other painting an equally positive picture for silver.
mesh_terms: D000497:Alloys; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D003300:Copper; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004865:Equipment and Supplies, Hospital / Q000382:microbiology*; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D012834:Silver; D006113:United Kingdom
chemical_list: D000497:Alloys; D012834:Silver; D003300:Copper