Teleflex Highlights Study involving ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology, Showing Significant Reduction in PICC-Related Bloodstream Infections

Teleflex Incorporated

, a leading global provider of medical devices for critical care and surgery, has announced results of a new peer-reviewed study involving the ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology, published in the Fall 2014 issue of the Journal of the Association for Vascular Access (JAVA). The ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology is the world's first and only antimicrobial and antithrombogenic PICC. The research, using the ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology, determined that this kind of Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) was associated with a nearly nine-fold drop in the rate of Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSIs). The peer-reviewed study was conducted at Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center (SCVMC) in Chula Vista, Calif. The study was undertaken in part because the medical center's CLABSI rate had remained above the national benchmark, despite comprehensive efforts to prevent these potentially deadly infections. Use of an antimicrobial catheter in such circumstances is recommended by the CDC and the Infusion Nurses Society. In the study, concurrent data was collected from 260 patients who received the ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology. That data was then compared to retrospective data for 257 patients who had only received unprotected PICCs during the previous year. The results of the study showed a clear, positive impact from the ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology. The 257 subjects in the non-interventional group had eight CLABSIs and an infection rate of 4.18/1000 line days. The 260 subjects in the interventional group had only one CLABSI and an infection rate of 0.47 infections/1000 line days. In addition, a financial analysis showed that the ARROW® PICC with Chlorag+ard® Technology reduced costs associated with CLABSIs. Using the device enabled the hospital to avoid seven CLABSIs during the six-month study period. Conservatively assuming a treatment cost of $16,500 per infection, researchers calculated that SCVMC saved $115,500 during the study period – an amount that includes the added cost for the preventive PICCs. The study author was Glenell Rutkoff, MSN, RN, CGRN, Manager Ambulatory and Ancillary Services at SCVMC. ”We are excited about the results of this important study,” said Jay White, President, Vascular Division of Teleflex. “It is well supported in the literature that PICC-related infections among inpatient populations are similar to those of acute non-medicated (non-tunneled) CVCs and higher than those of acute medicated (non-tunneled) CVCs.1 Also, for patients in the ICU, the risk of PICC-related infections can be nearly double that of patients outside of the ICU.2 In this era of healthcare reform, we know hospitals are looking for solutions to reduce CLABSI rates. For all these reasons, we are pleased to provide hospitals with Chlorag+ard® Technology in an effort to reduce PICC-related infections, improve hospital efficiencies and overall costs. This, coupled with the fact that Chlorag+ard® Technology also provides antithrombogenic benefits, allow us to provide solutions to multiple complications associated with PICCs."