‘About one in 10 of the people admitted to a hospital will contract a HAI’

Shailendra Trivedi, Director Channel Management & Operations at R&M India explains the importance of secure cabling solutions in reducing HAIs and R&M’s offerings in this sphere, in an interview with Raelene Kambli

Can you shed some light on the hospital acquired infections (HAI) scenario in India? How grave is the problem?

Hospital Acquired infections are contracted because of an infection or toxin that exists in a certain location of the hospital. People now use nosocomial infections interchangeably with terms like healthcare associated infections (HAIs) and hospital-acquired infections. An HAI is an infection which was not present before someone underwent medical care.

One of the most common wards where HAIs occur is the intensive care unit (ICU), where doctors treat serious diseases. Research says that about one in 10 of the people admitted to a hospital will contract a HAI. They’re also associated with significant morbidity, mortality and hospital costs.

As medical care becomes more complex and antibiotic resistance increases, the cases of HAIs will grow. The good news is that HAIs can be prevented in a lot of healthcare situations with the right product solutions.

How does R&M contribute in reducing the HAI rate within hospitals?

The responsibility of HAI prevention lies with the healthcare facility. Hospitals and healthcare staff should follow recommended guidelines for sterilisation and disinfection. Taking steps to prevent HAIs can decrease risk of contracting them by 70 per cent or more.

R&MhealthLine solutions have special additives that are permanently incorporated into plastic materials to inhibit the growth of bacteria and reduce the risk of cross contamination. All parts of the cabling that are accessible to patients have antibacterial properties tested in accordance to ISO 22196. This test demonstrates protection against two bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli through cabling located near the patient’s bed. This can assist in reducing the potential for cross contamination of disease causing bacteria.

Tell us about the need for secure cabling solutions within hospitals in India?

Clinics need extremely powerful networks with brilliant performance for fast transport of enormous quantities of data – for example those generated by imaging processes, virtualisation or storage systems. Structured cabling should ideally be capable of supporting a transmission performance of 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE). This high-frequency data transmission protocol demands network components of a special quality.

In addition, shielding against electromagnetic interference may often be required in clinic buildings to ensure data transmission without any time lag. Care has to be taken that the operation of large medical devices or interference from a wide variety of radio systems will not affect signal quality. As a leading specialist in shielded copper cabling, R&M provides high-performance systems which are exactly right for healthcare facilities. The two product families, Cat. 6A and Cat. 6A EL, offer unbeatable performance and complete protection for bits and bytes. The advanced insulation displacement contact technology in R&M’s copper modules also ensures long-lasting protection against corrosion and vibration for wire contacts.

How effective will antibacterial cabling be in preventing HAIs?

On its own, a reliable network is not enough when there is a risk of cross contamination between patients due to contact with cables and outlets. According to World Health Organization (WHO) around 16 million people die every year from infections contracted in hospitals. R&M wants to make a contribution to reducing risks of this kind and to promoting health in clinics. The latest development is the R&MhealthLine antibacterial range. This is the first consistent and complete solution for cabling systems in patient rooms and comparable, highly-frequented areas of use. Clinics can extend their IT risk management to the field of hygiene by installing R&MhealthLine products.

What are the challenges faced by hospitals in choosing cabling solutions?

Even clinic areas with harsh and damp ambient conditions or with rigorous hygiene requirements (cleaning) can be reliably connected to the network using resilient R&M solutions for protection classes IP54 and IP67. Areas of use are laboratories and operating rooms, ambulances, supply stations for gases, fluids and refrigerants, or outdoors with access control and video monitoring.

The Splash Line retrofittable rubber grommet provides protection against splashing water and dust. It makes a simple RJ45 connector into a protection class IP54 connection. Splash Line can withstand cleaning agents and disinfectants. The IP67 type 6 plastic grommet ensures even higher protection. It protects connectors against mechanical loads such as shocks and impacts. Grid clamps prevent connectors and cables from being pulled out in error. It is especially suitable for moveable equipment. The IP67 type 6 grommet is particularly suitable for waterproof connection of mobile devices to LAN sockets using cables.

What are the parameters for selecting such solutions?

There are unique protection and security requirements in the area around large diagnostic devices, in laboratories, and above all, in operating rooms. IT availability plays a key role here. The IEC 60601-1-1 standard (room category II) demands galvanic separation of medical equipment from the network to protect patients against overvoltage and to ensure devices operate reliably. The maintenance-free R&MsafeLine network isolation module from R&M takes care of galvanic separation in the outlet. This product saves costly solutions in medical equipment and increases the reliability of data transmission. This innovative product provides device independent operation, complies with the standards, does not need any software or any power supply and fits into the R&Mfreenet platform range. R&MsafeLine can be installed in just a few simple steps. The transmission capacity goes up to 1000 BaseT Ethernet or 1000 Mbit/s. The dielectric strength is 4 KV AC. This means patients and medical technology have the best possible protection against currents and overvoltage.

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