ST. PAUL, Minn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Smiths Medical, a leading global medical device manufacturer, today announced that its Jelco IntuitIV Safety IV Catheter™ for intravenous infusion is CE marked for clinical use in the European Economic Area (EEA) and other countries accepting CE-marked devices. The catheter, manufactured in Latina, Italy, is intended to reduce the risk of needlestick injury and its consequences.
Among clinicians and healthcare workers, accidental needlesticks with “sharps” occur frequently, at an estimated rate of 3.5 million incidents per year worldwide. Many of these cases can be attributed to the use of IV catheters, a device that consists of a length of tubing and an access port through which fluid or medication can be delivered to a patient’s bloodstream. The catheter tube is placed into a blood vessel on a guide needle. When using a conventional IV catheter, once the catheter tube is in position, the guide needle is removed from the blood vessel, leaving the sharp, blood covered needle exposed. Until it is properly disposed of, the device has the potential to come in contact with the caregiver, a bystander or a hospital staffer. Needlestick injuries are costly for healthcare institutions and can be medically serious to a victim.
Safety IV catheters, which are equipped with mechanisms to either shield or encapsulate the sharp tip of a guide needle, have become increasingly requested by clinicians and institutions. Professional associations, such as the World Health Organization (WHO), and government agencies worldwide have issued directives encouraging the adoption of practices that elevate caregiver safety, including the use of sharps safety devices. Jelco IntuitIV Safety IV Catheter™ is a passive safety device, because its safety mechanism activates automatically upon removing the guide needle from the patient’s blood vessel. A cylindrical tip protector encapsulates the tip to help prevent the sharp point from coming in contact with anyone other than the patient.
Smiths Medical President Srini Seshadri commented: “Our Jelco® line of safety devices has a long history of quality, innovation and safety. We are pleased to be able to offer a solution that helps to keep clinicians and healthcare workers safe from needlestick injury and the potentially detrimental consequences. It is Smiths Medical’s goal to help make every medical intervention successful for the patient as well as the caregiver.”
First deliveries of the Jelco IntuitIV Safety IV Catheter™ commenced October 2012. Regional introductions of the Jelco IntuitIV IV Catheter™ will expand as country registrations and approvals are granted.
Product(s) described may not be licensed or available for sale in all countries. Jelco IntuitIV Safety IV Catheter is a trademark of Smiths Medical. There is no connection between Smiths Medical and Intuitive Surgical.
About Smiths Medical
Smiths Medical www.smiths-medical.com is a leading supplier of specialist medical devices and equipment for global markets, focusing on the medication delivery, vital care and safety devices market segments. It is part of Smiths Group www.smiths.com, a global leader in applying advanced technologies for markets in threat and contraband detection, energy, medical devices, communications and engineered components. Smiths Group employs around 22,000 people in more than 50 countries.