Industry News
Medline Industries, Inc, Mundelein, IL, introduces innovative packaging for its line of SilvaSorb wound care dressings, designed to increase user safety. The new packaging, including an outer box and inner pouch, provides clear, concise instructions on the proper use of the product, along with a pamphlet that offers a 2-minute tutorial on important wound care guidelines. Packaging for each family of wound care products is color-coded and the inner pouch includes a crack-and-peel sticker for dressing change and charting.
[black up pointing small triangle]Information:http://www.medline.com
Cytomedix, Inc, Rockville, MD, announces it has submitted to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) a cost-effectiveness analysis of its Autologel System as compared with certain alternative therapies for patients with diabetic foot ulcers. Autologel is a US Food and Drug Administration-approved autologous platelet gel composed of multiple growth factors, other platelet releasates, and fibrin matrix. Results of a study conducted by B&D Consulting show that Autologel is more effective and less costly in treating patients with nonhealing diabetic foot ulcers over a 5-year period than the standard of care and the other therapies analyzed. Alternative treatments that were studied included tissue-engineered grafts, ultrasound, and single growth factor therapies.
Cytomedix also announces that it has entered into a nonexclusive licensing agreement with Smith & Nephew, Inc, Largo, FL, under its Knighton patent for all applications of its autologous platelet releasate therapy, except for use in the chronic wound market.
[black up pointing small triangle]Information:http://cytomedix.com
Advanced BioHealing,Inc, La Jolla, CA, released an analysis demonstrating the value of serial debridement in treating lower extremity wounds. The manuscript was presented at the annual meeting of the American Podiatric Medical Association in Philadelphia, PA. Examination of data from more than 500 patients revealed that wounds serially debrided within the first 4 weeks of the treatment period had a median wound area reduction of 54%, higher than wounds that were not debrided. Venous leg ulcers receiving debridement at more than half of the study visits within the first month had a better chance of reaching 75% wound closure in 4 weeks and 90% to 100% wound closure in 12 weeks. Diabetic foot ulcers receiving debridement at every study visit during 12 weeks had a greater chance of reaching wound closure than those debrided less often.
[black up pointing small triangle]Information:http://www.AdvancedBioHealing.com
Swiss-American Products, Inc, Dallas TX, introduces the Complete Program as part if its relationship with Tempur-Pedic Medical, Lexington, KY. The Complete Program gives support to qualified direct medical suppliers of Tempur-Pedic Medical products and is designed to entice customers to retail stores and increase institutional sales. The program offers special promotions and pricing to members and is committed to helping members fund advertising of Tempur-Pedic Medical products, including co-op opportunities, ad creation, available ads for newspapers, and direct mail components, such as mailing lists and letter shop services. It also offers local and regional sales leads from Swiss-American's clinical customers, access to a full library of studies, and training in a variety of areas, including sales tactics and product features.
[black up pointing small triangle]Information:http://www.elta.net
Novation, a health care contracting services company, offers its Wound Drainage Program, which can help hospitals convert wound drainage products to reduce costs, meet clinical acceptability, and consolidate items. Novation aids hospitals in implementing a strategic process to provide clinicians with feedback opportunities before a conversion decision is made, ensuring that items are accurately identified and cross-referenced, establishing a product evaluation process, and collecting feedback on the clinical acceptability of the new products and reduced costs.
[black up pointing small triangle] Information:http://www.novationco.com
Hospitals across the country are exploring the use of preoperative antiseptic skin cleansing or skin prepping to prevent or reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SSIs are the leading hospital-acquired infection (38%) in surgical patients and the third most common in hospitalized patients. At Prince William Hospital in Manassas, VA, clinicians saw reduced incidence of SSIs, an estimated cost savings of more than $100,000, and a 75% decrease in SSI-related readmissions after 6 months of implementing a preoperative skin cleansing protocol. Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, MN, improved its preoperative skin preparation protocol by implementing a new product, leading to a 50% reduction in SSI rates in patients undergoing joint procedures. And, VA Central Iowa Health Care System in Des Moines, Iowa, saw improvement after implementing a new preoperative skin preparation product, educating patients about appropriate skin antisepsis, and increasing compliance with preoperative skin antisepsis.
[black up pointing small triangle]Information:http://www.sageproducts.com