Surgical Infection Preventer

This article from LiveScience introduces an idea discovered at the University of Southern Mississippi. They have found a way to coat surgical equipment used in invasive surgery to prevent infections from bacteria found in hospitals. 90,000 people die a year from bacteria from the hospital. This is the first time we have been able to attach antibodics to a surface. Penicillin-lined surfaces were shown to be highly effective against the bacteria that causes staph infections. I believe that this development will hopefully lower the amount of deaths caused by bacteria found in hospitals. Hospitals need to be clean and bacteria free enough that people don't end up with more illnesses on the way out of the hospital than on their way in. Even though this issue of antibodic coatings still has much research to be done, we have to feel good about the future.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20070910/sc_livescience/newcoatingcouldpreventinfectionfromsurgicaltoolsandimplants