When Emily Levy was a sophomore in college, she was diagnosed with neurological Lyme disease and required a PICC to facilitate her treatment. This PICC was the first of many vascular access devices Emily has depended on and, unfortunately, Lyme was only the first of many diagnoses to come. Despite facing long term illness and…
Since the “pay for performance” era began, hospital acquired conditions (HAC) have deservedly received a great deal of attention from hospitals, healthcare providers, payors, patients and families. For critical medical devices that pose danger to patients if they are dislodged [like vascular access devices, (VADs)], safety requires proper securement. Poor securement of VADs increases the…
While catheters provide numerous benefits to their users, there can be a health burden associated with their use, as they may promote catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI*) and medical adhesive-related skin injuries (MARSIs). A publication reviewing the qualitative and quantitative evidence supporting the use of Detachol® Liquid Adhesive for the reduction of CRBSI and MARSI can…
The previous blog of this 2‐part series focused on Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs), including the prevalence of use, the types of patients treated, and the associated risks of LVAD‐associated infections. (View Blog 1 of 2) Part 2 of the series will focus on minimizing driveline infections once the patient goes home. LVADs have revolutionized…
Welcome to the first of a 2-part series on Left Ventricular Assist Devices (LVADs). Part 1 will provide an overview of LVADs, types of patients treated and the associated risks. Congestive Heart Failure (CHF) is a leading cause of death worldwide. CHF is estimated to impact over 20 million people in the world, 2.2 million…
You may remember in the last blog, the considerable number of surgeries performed annually in the US was presented (51.4 million)1, along with the lack of patient satisfaction of scarring after surgeries. Data reviewed revealed that there was a significant amount of patient dissatisfaction with scarring after routine surgeries. Statistics showed that 91% percent of…
The previous blog of this 2-part series focused on the importance of proper dressing removal, especially in oncology patients. We examined how the use of an adhesive remover with ports, PICC lines, and their associated dressings can help reduce the risk of damage to fragile skin in this patient population. (View Blog 1 of 2.)…
This is the first of a 2-part series focusing on the importance of proper dressing removal. Skin injury happens across all care settings and among all age groups.1 When proper technique for the application and/or removal of adhesive products is not used, tissue damage can occur, which not only impacts patient safety and quality of…
The last blog began a 3-part series focusing on catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). We saw that as vascular catheter use has increased, bloodstream infections have become a costly complication of health care. We also reviewed how preventing dressing disruption with Mastisol Liquid Adhesive® reduces the likelihood of dressing displacement and minimizes the risk of infection.…
PROCEDURES WHERE KITS HELP Vascular Access Devices PIV Starts CVC Insertion PICC Lines Epidurals Dressing Changes Surgical Procedures In our last blog, we reviewed how standardization of procedure kits can help your facility by increasing overall compliance to best practices. Yet another advantage of procedures kits is the financial benefit. A case in point is…