StatLock CV Plus Improves Safety for Patients, Healthcare Workers.

Business Editors/Health & Medical Writers

SAN DIEGO--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 24, 2000

Venetec International today announced the launch of StatLock CV Plus, an improved catheter securement device for central venous catheters.

StatLock CV Plus replaces suture for anchoring all central venous (CV) catheters, providing stronger and safer securement of potentially life-saving catheters. The device also eliminates the risk of suture needlesticks that can expose healthcare workers to dangerous bloodborne pathogens.

Use of StatLock instead of suture significantly reduces the danger of catheter-related bloodstream infections, according to a study presented this month at a conference sponsored by the National Patient Safety Foundation and the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). The study by Gregory Schears, M.D. (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the Hospital of the University Of Pennsylvania) has been accepted for inclusion in JCAHO's "best practices" compendium.

"StatLock's ability to eliminate catheter-related bloodstream infections marks a significant advance in improving patient safety and reducing medical errors," said Steve Bierman, M.D., medical director and CEO of Venetec International.

The new device combines breakthrough plastics technology with StatLock's design sophistication. "StatLock CV Plus employs advanced adhesive technology to keep catheters firmly and safely attached to patients," Dr. Bierman said. "The new hydrocolloid swatch on the backing is skin-safe and moisture absorbent, and enhances the adhesive properties of the already excellent StatLock adhesive system."

A new, stronger latching mechanism is also among the Venetec-engineered refinements in securement technology that are incorporated into the new device.

StatLock CV Plus is universally adaptable to all winged catheters. The new "pigtail" retainer, which is included in all StatLock CV Plus pouches, holds triple-lumen pigtails safely in place. This retainer reduces drag on the catheter and makes it easier for nurses to more quickly organize the extension tubes and perform their duties for catheterized patients.

"We believe this device will soon become the new worldwide standard for securement of central venous catheters," Dr. Bierman said. "For no more than the cost of suture and a suture-removal set, clinicians can now eliminate life-threatening needlesticks and perilous catheter-related infections. StatLock CV Plus provides unprecedented safety on both ends of the line, and is cost-effective."

Central venous catheters allow safer, more effective delivery of medications and fluids, making them an increasingly popular clinical choice.

Steadfast securement of these catheters is especially important, because cost pressures have resulted in more patients being sent home from the hospital while they are still catheterized with a central line. Accidental dislodgment of such a catheter can pose considerable risk to the patient, especially when the patient is not under care in a hospital.

The new device is one of more than a dozen StatLock product designs, created to safely hold virtually all kinds of medical tubes and catheters used in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and home-care settings. Among the hundreds of healthcare facilities using StatLock are Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Cleveland Clinic and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

StatLock is recognized by CalOSHA, EPINet and Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation as a needlestick safety device under both state and federal mandates. Several published studies also attest to StatLock's cost-savings and clinical benefits.

The safety benefits provided by StatLock are now an integral part of the catheter insertion trays made by virtually all major catheter manufacturers, including C.R. Bard, Arrow International, BD (Becton Dickinson). B. Braun and Cook Inc. For more information call 800/833-3895, or access www.StatLock.com.