A study published in the May 29 Online First issue of Critical Care found that evidence-based catheter-
care procedures regarding hand hygiene may significantly reduce the rate of catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs).
A total of 499 patients with 6,200 catheter days were studied in the baseline period and 500 patients with 7,279 catheter days were studied in the intervention period. A total of 3.9 CRBSIs per 1,000 catheter days in the baseline period decreased to 1.1 per 1,000 catheter days in the intervention phase.
To read more specifics on the study, click here.
A study of infection control specialists revealed that hospital-acquired infection education is one area frequently reduced due to budgetary constraints. The online
survey found 44 percent of the group reporting decreased attendance at hospital meetings with 42 percent not conducting as many walking rounds. In addition, infection control specialists are dealing with increased workloads that divert their attention from infection prevention.
Click here for additional information on the survey. (free registration required)
Navilyst Medical is taking the paper brochure to the next level with the release of ebrochures for select products. Download the brochures to your iPhone or Blackberry or even link to them on
your website or blog. The following products currently have ebrochures available:
Additional ebrochures will be created in the future so check back often.
Two new television shows are giving viewers an inside look at the nursing profession. HawthoRNe is a new drama on TNT starring Jada Pinkett Smith as chief nursing officer Christina Hawthorne. The show gives viewers a glimpse of the difficulty of combining clinical care with administrative duties. Visit
TNT's website to learn more about the show and its characters and to watch full episodes online.
Another program showcasing nurses is Showtime's Nurse Jackie, a dark comedy starring Edie Falco of Sopranos' fame as a veteran Emergency Room nurse. Placement on Showtime allows the series to explore more controversial topics including Jackie's apparent addiction to pain killers and how someone juggles the physical limitations and ethical challenges of nursing. For a closer look at Nurse Jackie, click here.
Photo Credit: craig1black
Navilyst Medical's new
EZ Huber Safety Infusion Set has a unique dual-action safety mechanism designed to reduce the risk of bloodborne pathogen exposure that threatens clinician safety and is a significant cost to the healthcare system. One safety feature shields the tip of the needle after the needle is withdrawn from the patient to prevent accidental needle sticks. Another safety feature is a protective cover that surrounds the entire needle after withdrawal to reduce exposure to aerosolized or splattered infusion fluids and blood. The EZ Huber Safety Infusion Set is compatible with Navilyst Medical's new
Xcela® Power Injectable Port and is rated for up to 5mL/sec at 300 psi for contrast-enhanced CT imaging procedures. Approximately 10 million Huber Needle Infusion Sets are used annually in the U.S. to provide access to implanted port catheters.
According to Swiss researchers, patients who aren't given antibiotics prior to surgery are at increased risk for surgical site infection due to torn surgical gloves. For surgical procedures more than two hours in length, surgical glove perforation occurs in 8 percent to 50 percent of cases. For details on the study including infection rate statistics, click
here.
Photo Credit:
Majicdolphin
International Navilyst Medical customers and prospective customers now have a new resource to contact distributors. The new
International Partners section includes contact information for companies distributing Navilyst Medical products outside the United States. This section will continue to expand as Navilyst Medical partners with additional international distributors.
For more information on which products are sold in a particular country, contact the listed distributor. To find out how to become an international distributor of Navilyst Medical products, click
here.
A study published in the March 25, 2009 edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association showed use of a chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) impregnated sponge in intravascular catheter dressings reduced rates of catheter-related infections (Read study abstract
here.)
The Biopatch* protective disk with CHG is designed to continually release CHG allowing for unsoiled adherent dressing changes to increase from every three days to every seven days.
The Biopatch is available in
Navilyst Medical PICC Convenience Kits. To learn more, click
here.
*Biopatch is a registered trademark of Ethicon.
Navilyst Medical's market-leading offering of
customized PICC kits has been expanded. Enhancements include the new
Xcela® Power Injectable PICC with PASV® Valve Technology and a wider array of PICC insertion accessories and packaging. The market focus for the PICC Convenience Kitting program is on the bedside placement segment which accounts for over two-thirds of the approximately two million Peripherally Inserted Central Catheters (PICCs) that are sold in the U.S. annually. The program provides clinicians and hospitals the catheter and accessory choices they require for a procedure that is efficient and conducive to reducing the risk of accidental needlesticks (OSHA) and infections (CDC and Joint Commission). This also reduces costs from unnecessary supplies. These PICC Convenience Kits can be ordered with Navilyst Medical's proprietary PASV Valve Catheters which are proven to reduce rates of catheter occlusions and infections- another asset as hospitals prepare for the upcoming reimbursement restrictions by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for preventable complications which include catheter-related bloodstream infections.
A favorite song can give you a lift on a bad day but do certain melodies have healing properties? A growing number of hospitals are including music in treatments for conditions such as Parkinson's disease and cancer. 
Dr. Michael Miller, Director of the Center for Preventative Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center presented data to the American Heart Association late last year. His study examined 10 healthy non-smoking volunteers both before and after they listed to music of their choosing. The results post-tunes - a 26 percent increase in the diameter of their upper arm blood vessels. Note that dilated blood vessels lead to increased blood flow. To further prove his point, his research subjects' blood vessels narrowed after suffering through music they hated. To read more about the healing properties of music, click here.
Photo Credit: Flykr