Eighth Annual MADRI Conference Promotes Discussion on Preventing Medical Device-Related Infections

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Multidisciplinary Alliance Against Device-Related Infections (MADRI) hosted its eighth annual conference June 6-8, 2008 in Lansdowne, VA where leading infection specialists presented on a variety of topics, including research goals in epidemiology and infection control, legal perspectives on MRSA and catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSIs). The event focused on identifying medical advances for the treatment and prevention of medical device-related infections, utilizing appropriate surgical interventions for patients with device-related infections and addressing the regulation of surface-modified medical devices.

“Driven by discussions around improving patient care and the prevention of device-related infections, the eighth annual MADRI conference was a huge success,” said Rabih Darouiche, M.D., VA distinguished service professor, Departments of Medicine (Infectious Disease Section) and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and director of Center for Prostheses Infection and MADRI founder. “In an open and educational atmosphere, experts across disciplines were able to discuss challenges associated with device-related infections and exchange ideas about prevention and improvement of patient care.”

One of the main themes of the conference was CRBSIs, a common nosocomial infection that develops when bacteria enter the blood stream through a central venous catheter (CVC). Placement of these catheters is the most common procedure in Intensive Care Units and CRBSIs are associated with significant mortality and increased hospital stay and costs. Demetrios Demetriades, M.D., Ph.D, presented on best practices for the insertion and maintenance of CVCs and the legal liabilities associated with CRBSIs.

“The legal liability of CRBSIs, an infection that can largely be prevented by following evidence-based guidelines, is an important topic that demands the attention of healthcare providers across the nation,” said Dr. Demetriades, Professor of Surgery and Director of Trauma/Surgical Critical Care, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. “Unfortunately only a small percentage of hospitals and physicians follow established guidelines, which have proven to be highly effective. The healthcare community must band together and make sure that best practices, especially those recommended by the CDC, are always disseminated and followed in order to ensure the best patient care and minimize legal liability.”

CDC guidelines for CVCs recommend education of the medical and nursing staff on the indications, technique and maintenance of central lines, including full sterile barrier precautions, hand hygiene, the use of chlorhexidine for skin preparation, and the use of antibiotic- or antiseptic-impregnated catheters in adults whose catheter is expected to stay for 5 days or more. Clinical trials have demonstrated that antibiotic-bonded and antiseptic-coated catheters were more effective than untreated catheters in reducing CRBSIs and that minocycline and rifampin impregnated catheters were associated with significantly lower colonization and infection rates than antiseptic catheters impregnated with chlorhexidine/silver sulfadiazine. Research has shown that application of these guidelines can reduce the occurrence of CRBSIs by as much as 66 percent.

MADRI conferences provide a platform for conversation between healthcare providers, researchers, government agencies, and device- and drug-manufacturing companies. These forums provide an opportunity to discuss and share information, and develop strategies for prevention and treatment of device-related infections.

About Cook Medical:

Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology, gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Cook is a past winner of the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine. For more information, visit www.cookmedical.com.