Using silver-coated catheters for patients significantly reduced the most common hospital-acquired infection, according to a study published in the April issue of Urologic Nursing, the Journal of the Society of Urological Nurses and Associates.
Two nurses from a 42-bed rehabilitation hospital in Arkansas compared numbers and rates of catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI) from data they gathered during two periods. The first was a 4-month period in 2006 using a standard latex catheter. The second was a 6-month period using a silver-coated catheter.
Authors Jackie Kassler, RN and Josh Barnett, RN, CRRN of St. Vincent’s Rehabilitation Hospital in Sherwood, AR. discovered 10 nosocomial CAUTIs during the four-month period using the standard latex catheters. During the six-months of silver-coated catheter use, the hospital found no nosocomial CAUTIs.
Kassler and Barnett theorized that silver played a key role in reducing infections. The authors said that although silver has been used in catheters for a decade, products with silver have not yet become standard in most healthcare settings.
St. Vincent’s embarked upon the study in an effort to reduce CAUTI, the most prevalent hospital-acquired infection in the United States (according to the CDC). Most of St. Vincent’s patients are transferred from acute care settings after neurological or orthopedic surgery or for short-term rehabilitation. Average length of stay is approximately 13 days and 85 percent of patients are discharged back to community settings.
According to the release, Medicare’s shift to pay for performance later this fall played a role in the analysis. Medicare has stated that it will not reimburse hospitals for additional care delivered due to catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
A collaboration between academic and industry researchers on regenerative medicine is being formed to help soldiers who survive roadside bombs but often have serious injuries.
Formed by the US Army, the Institute of Regenerative Medicine will devote $85 million to developing products and therapies to repair blast injuries from improvised explosive devices and other weapons. The approaches will include work with stem cells, growth factors, tissue and biomaterial engineering, and transplants to help the body restore or replace damaged tissues or organs.
Massachusetts General, MIT, and Dartmouth will be part of a consortium led by Rutgers University and the Cleveland Clinic. A second consortium will be headed by Wake Forest University and the University of Pittsburgh. Each will receive $42.5 million from the Army.
MD&DI’s latest Web event, “Building Biomaterials†is now available for download. This event features recognized experts in the world of biomaterials, Len Czuba, Robert Ward, and Gail Naughton. These experts discuss state-of-the-art technologies, such as self-assembing polymers and tissue engineered materials. They also present a view of the current thinking and regulatory structure of the industry.
The North American market for biocompatible materials is the largest worldwide. It is estimated at $13.7 billion for 2008 as stated by Global Industry Analysts Inc in this new report.
Europe represents the second largest market. The three regions collectively account for nearly 80% of the global biocompatible materials market. Polymeric biocompatible materials market in Europe is estimated at $7.6 billion for 2008. Market for metallic biocompatible materials in North America is projected to record a CAGR of 5.4% over the period 2000-2010. Natural biocompatible materials market in Japan is expected to reach $500 million by 2012.
The report says that the global marketplace is relatively concentrated and characterized by several well-established players. Market participants include Angiotech Pharmaceuticals, Artimplant, AP Pharma, AST Products, Biocoat, Biosyntech, Dentsply International, Invibio, Integra LifeSciences, Orthovita, SaluMedica, SurModics, Synthes and United States Surgical.
Fighting bacteria could be as simple as digging in the dirt, reports WebMD Medical News. The news report highlighted a study from Arizona State University that has found three minerals in certain types of clay that target methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), antibiotic-resistant E. coli, and other bacteria.
The scientists studied more than 20 different types of clay to learn about antibacterial minerals in those clays. The researchers hope to harness the minerals to block or treat skin infections. The findings were presented in New Orleans at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting.
Using nature to inspire biomaterials. Its hardly a new concept, but I just read a great National Geographic article on how complicated such a process is. The article explains that only a handful of biomimetic products have successfully come to market because of the enormous complexity of natural structures.
However, such daunting statistics shouldn’t (and hasn’t) discourage researchers from examining the natural world. For example, the journal Science (via the March 28 edition of the San Francisco Chronicle) reported on using the progressive density of a squid beak as inspiration for an orthopedic implant. What is significant about the structure is that at its tip, the squid beak (made of chitin) is hard enough to chew food, but is gradually softer around the base where the structure attaches to muscle. The hard material does come into contact directly with the soft tissue.
The researchers envision prosthetics that are designed in a similar way so that a device would have the elasticity of cartilage near the area of attachment. The other side would be stiff and abrasion resistant.
