The Superbug Sitting at the Nurse's Station

Is your staff storing something more than information in your cabinets?

Studies are discovering alarming levels of dangerous bacteria on cabinets, tabletops and other office furnishings. In fact, MRSA - the so-called "superbug" - was discovered on 51% of office tables in a general hospital.1 Other studies have discovered that the superbug can survive for days on plastic patient charts, laminate tabletops, curtains and other office surfaces.2

This is why Aptus Flex furniture is the ideal choice for medical exam furnishings, nurse's stations, even desks and breakroom tables. Aptus Flex combines flexible design and the highest quality materials, certified for health and safety by independent associations. All components are high-pressure laminate. Contemporary Interiors never uses melamine (also known as low-pressure laminate).

MRSA 101

MRSA is short for Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, the strain of staph bacteria that's become resistant to methicillin, penicillin and amoxicillin, three commonly used antibiotics. A recent review discovered that hospital-acquired staph infections have risen 62% from 1999 to 2005, according to the CDC. The agency declared staph infection a national priority for disease control.

The concern is not limited to medical facilities. Recently, the CDC has categorized another form of MRSA. Called community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA), the infection has been documented in gyms, daycares and other community settings and occurs in relatively healthy people.

Staph and MRSA can survive for hours, days or even months, depending on moisture, the presence of nutrients on which bacteria can thrive and other factors. Regular cleaning is an important part of prevention, but it should not be considered the front line.

First Line of Defense

Choosing the right furnishings is a vital first step to reducing this growing threat. So how do you determine if your furniture is a haven for infectious bacteria?

  • Furniture should be resistant to bacterial growth. High-pressure laminate is resists bacterial growth and is tough enough to withstand most cleaning agents. However, when extra protection is called for, Contemporary Interiors offers optional Wilsonart® Chemsurf® in its product lines, a treatment suitable for medical applications as well as laboratory settings. Products developed with ChemSurf® are rated ASTMG-22 resistant to bacterial growth. Chemsurf® is offered for all high-pressure laminate components.

    ASTM International is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world. ASTM is at the forefront in the use of innovative technology to help its members do standards development work.

  • Furniture should be resistant to corrosive environments, which can score and pockmark surfaces. In turn, bacteria can grow within these small, hard-to-clean crevices, where bacteria-friendly nutrients can collect. Contemporary Interiors manufactures furniture with very few seams, reducing the number of crevices where organic material can fall and breed bacteria.

    Wilsonart® Chemsurf® is ideal in environments with harsh acids, bases and solvents, and it is the best choice for applications that require a wide range of cleaning agents. Chemsurf® has been approved by the Scientific Equipment & Furniture Association, the organization dedicated to advancing the development of safe laboratory equipment.

  • Pulls should NOT be recessed. Recessed pulls offer a potentially dark, moist, nutrient-rich environment for bacteria to multiply. These areas are difficult to clean and often overlooked. Contemporary Interiors products use radius finger grip with very few seams, where organic material can fall and become bacterial fodder. Learn more about how Aptus Flex is the right fit for your office or practice. Contact one of our representatives today by emailing sales@aptusflex.com or calling

©Contemporary Interiors, Inc. All rights reserved

1 Oomaki M, Yorioka K, Oie S, Kamiya A, Biol Pharm Bulletin 2006 Jul;29(7):1508-10
2 Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2006 Nov;27(11):1267-9. Epub 2006 Sep 28

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Contemporary Interiors Inc.
2626 N.W. 35th Street
Ocala, FL 34475
Toll Free: 1-800-831-9360
Ph: 352-620-8686
sales@aptusflex.com