Ability to Reduce Risk of 250,000 Potentially Fatal Hospital Acquired Infections Sparks Sales of Cook Medical’s Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC

BLOOMINGTON, Ind.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Interventional radiologists are increasingly adopting Cook Medical’s Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC to prevent the occurrence of potentially fatal catheter related blood stream infections (CRBSIs) and stem the high cost of related treatment. Since the launch of the product in April, Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC has sold 2,500 Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC units to more than 70 institutions across the country. This rapid sales growth is attributed greatly to Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC’s ability to help reduce the risk of potentially fatal CRBSIs that the Centers for Disease Control report cause about 250,000 deaths in the U.S. annually.

With the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) changing the rules for reimbursing hospitals for the treatment costs associated with CRBSIs and other HAIs, the industry is fast recognizing the need to use advanced technologies to reduce the risk of these infections. Used in tandem with comprehensive hygiene protocols, advanced technologies like the Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC, may help to improve patient quality care.

“Quality patient care is top priority at McKay-Dee Hospital Center,” said Todd Sanford, R.N. from the Interventional Radiology department at McKay-Dee Hospital Center, a member of the Intermountain Healthcare system. “We are pleased to learn of the ability of the Spectrum technology on PICCs with power-injectable capabilities. The Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC is another tool to provide our patients with the best possible care.”

The first power injectable antibiotic-impregnated peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC), the Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC is capable of accepting the contrast media injection rates required for CT scans. The ability to power-inject contrast media, combined with the Spectrum technology’s proven ability to establish a clinically significant zone of inhibition against the organisms most frequently associated with CRBSIs, means that patients receiving PICC lines will face reduced risk from deadly CRBSIs, while clinicians will have access to flow rates that are among the industry’s highest¹.

“The Spectrum Turbo-Ject PICC has set the industry standard for safeguarding against potentially deadly CRBSIs,” said Dan Sirota, global business leader of Cook Medical’s interventional radiology business unit. “Cook is pleased with this tremendous rate of adoption and looks forward to continuing its relationship with the interventional radiology community and providing the best solutions to improve patient care.”

According to the Center for Disease Control, Costs associated with treating these infections average $34,508 to $56,000 each, making CRBSI prevention a major health care cost reduction issue, especially with rising treatment costs and Medicare non-reimbursement. Additionally, about 30,000 U.S. patients die each year from these systemic infections that have been deemed to be largely preventable. Numerous peer-reviewed publications, including a landmark study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, have demonstrated both the safety and superior efficacy of the minocycline and rifampin Spectrum technology. Spectrum technology has been shown to establish zones of inhibition greater than 15 mm for up to 63 days against the leading causes of CRBSIs.

The combination of the antibiotics minocycline and rifampin that are impregnated within the material of the Cook Spectrum catheters work synergistically to provide broad-spectrum protection against the leading causes of CRBSI, including MRSA, VRSA, and VRE are in both short- and long-term applications. Unlike most systemic antibiotics, this unique combination has the ability to penetrate the biofilm that forms on all indwelling catheters. Additionally, research has conclusively shown that use of these catheters does not promote the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria in patients receiving Spectrum catheters. In fact, the use of Spectrum technology has demonstrated reduced antibiotic-resistant strains in one single-center study².

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.

¹ Issam Raad, Rabih Darouiche, Ray Hachem et el. “The Broad-Spectrum Activity and Efficacy of Catheters Coated with Minocycline and Rifampin.” The Journal of Infectious Diseases. 173(1996): 418-424.

² Ramos E, Jiang Y, Hachem R, et al. Is the prolonged use of minocycline/rifampin coated catheters (M/R CVC) associated with increased resistance: a seven year experience in a tertiary cancer center. Paper presented at: The Society of Healthcare and Epidemiology of America 18^th Annual Scientific Meeting; Orlando, FL. April 5-8. 2008.

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