Combating Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) is a multi-faceted effort that involves almost every aspect in each facility, from staff to equipment and policies and procedures. A CDC study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, regarding HAI found that 25.6 percent of all HAI occurrences were linked to contaminated medical devices.
With such a high proportion of HAI coming from medical devices, device manufacturers are at the forefront of the battle to prevent HAI. CME is proud to partner with Amico Corporation, a global innovator that provides state-of-the-art products for virtually every department in a healthcare facility.
Suction Regulators as HAI Incubators
Of all the medical devices that can harbor and transport HAI, suction regulators and vacuums are a dangerous culprit. With no regulations pertaining to the cleaning of suction regulators, the devices – which are used in many different healthcare settings, including operating rooms – can become contaminated and increase the likelihood of patient infection.
One study found that 37 percent of regulators were compromised with contaminants spreading into the far reaches of the regulator within 30 minutes. Additionally, the same study found that contaminated regulators passed pathogens to patients within 24 hours.
A white paper by The Joint Commission, recommended cleaning, disinfection and sterilization best practices to mitigate the HAI risks associated with vacuum regulators, but these techniques are subject to human behavior and possible human error. Healthcare staff must remember to check for contamination and then begin the cleaning process, which for some regulators can be difficult and dangerous, exposing the healthcare worker to dangerous pathogens.
Amico HAI Solutions
Amico Corporation’s Sentinel Vacuum Regulator works to mitigate these dangers and make the identification process more intuitive. Using optical sensors to track and identify contamination, the regulator’s blue lights act like a car’s “check engine” light, letting hospital staff know when the device becomes contaminated.
In addition to the indicator lights, the regulator also uses a disposable cartridge, making cleaning more convenient and less dangerous. Nurses can simply remove the cartridge, which contains the dangerous pathogens, and replace it with a fresh new cartridge.
With HAI costing U.S. hospitals billions of dollars annually, Amico’s innovative regulator technology is a cost-effective solution, priced only 5-10 percent higher than the alternative regulators.
CME is dedicated to fighting HAI by providing cutting-edge cleaning technology and equipment to our customers with our complete line of products that will help combat HAI. Call 800.338.2372 for an account manager who can provide you with information about the Sentinel Vacuum Regulator and other innovative products.
About CME: CME Corp is the nation’s premier source for healthcare equipment, turnkey logistics, and biomedical services, representing 2 million+ products from more than 2,000 manufacturers.
With two corporate offices and 35+ service centers, our mission is is to help healthcare facilities nationwide reduce the cost of the equipment they purchase, make their equipment specification, delivery, installation, and maintenance processes more efficient, and help them seamlessly launch, renovate and expand on schedule.