Chlorhexidine Partners Network Debuts
<0> Dowling & Dennis Public RelationsLiz Dowling, 415-388-2794 </0>
Two leading makers of technology for have united to form the Chlorhexidine Partners Network. Other patient safety- dedicated companies are expected to join the network soon. The founders of the network are RyMed Technologies and Arrow International, Inc., a subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated.
The network was formed to educate hospital-based infection control professionals about the infection prevention benefits of chlorhexidine, which is a broad-spectrum antiseptic, including chlorhexidine-related best practices for preventing infections.
“An example of chlorhexidine’s value is that it provides an extra measure of infection prevention in an antimicrobial-impregnated IV connector,” said Paul Blackburn, RyMed’s Senior Marketing Director. “In particular, it is more effective than silver alone in killing pathogens associated with bloodstream infections. This efficacy informed the design of our InVision-Plus CS® with Neutral Advantage™ technology, the only IV connector that has a septum impregnated with both chlorhexidine and silver.”
Said Kathy Conner, the Vice President of Marketing for Arrow, “Our company has been at the forefront of infection protection since the early 1990s, when we introduced the ARROW CVC with ARROWg+ard technology, central venous catheters utilizing chlorhexidine. Today, we continue to expand the use of chlorhexidine to our ARROW PICCs with Chlorag+ard technology, which is both antimicrobial and antithrombogenic. We believe that the wider use of chlorhexidine will inevitably result in fewer hospital-acquired infections, which would have tremendous relevance for improved patient safety. It would also mean lower infection-related expenses for hospitals, including fewer outlays for unreimbursed care.”
The Chlorhexidine Partners Network debuted with a presentation by Keith Kaye, M.D., MPH, on the benefits of chlorhexidine, presented at the 2012 annual conference of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Sponsors of the talk were RyMed, Teleflex and Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson company.
The network’s scope will include educational efforts and a website, , which will launch later this year, to create awareness of chlorhexidine’s role in protecting patients from infection.
Chlorhexidine is a widely used antiseptic for numerous applications in medicine, dentistry, and household use and is the gold standard for several of those applications. It is effective against both Gram-positive and Gram‐negative bacteria and fungi. It has both bactericidal and bacteriostatic mechanisms of action, depending on concentration. Its mechanism of action is membrane disruption. Chlorhexidine has minimal risk for development of resistance.
Common uses include:
*For example, central line catheters and needleless IV connectors to prevent bacterial colonization and infection.
*For example, surgical scrubs; pre-operative skin preparations; surgical hand washes; general medical hand washes; patient bathing to prevent surgical site infection (SSI); and catheter site dressings to prevent central line associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs).
For example, oral care bundles including chlorhexidine to reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and ventilator-associated events (VAEs).
* For example, mouthwashes to reduce the microbial count and plaque.
RyMed Technologies manufactures needleless IV connectors including the InVision-Plus CS with Neutral Advantage™ technology, the only of its kind with a chlorhexidine and silver-impregnated septum.
Arrow manufactures a range of vascular access catheters impregnated with chlorhexidine-based technologies. The most notable are the , the world’s only chlorhexidine-based antimicrobial and antithrombogenic PICC, and the which utilizes chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine.
References on file .
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* Scientific poster comparing bacteria-suppressing effectiveness of chlorhexidine and silver-impregnated to silver-only coated connector
* Summary of scientific poster comparing bacteria-suppressing effectiveness of multiple needleless IV connectors, including a chlorhexidine and silver-impregnated IV connector.
*Scientific poster comparing bacteria and fungi antimicrobial activity of chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine to antibiotic and silver-only central venous catheters.
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*Scientific poster demonstrating the in an animal model.
*Scientific poster demonstrating the in an animal model.
Founded in 1994, RyMed Technologies, Inc. specializes in the development and marketing of innovative safety products in the field of intravenous catheter care management. The company's products are designed to help reduce catheter occlusions, catheter-related infections, and biofilm development commonly associated with vascular access devices. More than 10 years of research and development have gone into the InVision-Plus® product line. Numerous studies regarding the efficacy of the InVision-Plus® Needleless IV Connector have been published in the last six years -- which is particularly important in light of the growing incidence of .
For more information on the product and published studies, access or call (615) 790-8093. The company is headquartered in Franklin, Tenn.
Teleflex is a leading global provider of specialty medical devices for a range of procedures in critical care and surgery. Our mission is to provide solutions that enable healthcare providers to improve outcomes and enhance patient and provider safety. Headquartered in Limerick, Pa., Teleflex employs approximately 11,200 people worldwide and serves healthcare providers in more than 130 countries. Additional information about Teleflex can be obtained from the company's website at .
For detailed information, see TELEFLEX MEDICALPO Box 12600Research Triangle Park, NC 27709Toll Free 866.246.6990Phone 919.544.8000Intl 919.433.8088
Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements contained herein are based on our management's current beliefs and expectations, but are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and changes in circumstances, which may cause actual results or company actions to differ materially from what is expressed or implied by these statements. These risks and uncertainties are identified and described in more detail in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ARROW, ARROWg+ard, Chlorag+ard and Teleflex are trademarks or registered trademarks of Teleflex Incorporated.