04.11.16
To help healthcare professionals in their ongoing efforts to protect patients from surgical site infections (SSIs), Clorox Healthcare has introduced Clorox Healthcare Nasal Antiseptic Swabs, a povidone-iodine alternative to antibiotics. Using an antiseptic, like Clorox Healthcare Nasal Antiseptic Swabs, instead of an antibiotic, like mupirocin, for preoperative nasal decolonization is a simple and effective way for any healthcare facility to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use.
“Clorox Healthcare understands the urgency to act on antibiotic stewardship,” said Dr. Rosie D. Lyles, head of clinical affairs for Clorox Healthcare. “Antibiotics save lives, but inappropriate prescribing and misuse puts patients at risk.”
In 2014, one in seven surgical site infections (SSIs) was caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria identified as urgent or serious threats by the CDC. Nasal decolonization has become an important strategy to reduce the risk of SSIs as part of a bundled approach to infection prevention. However, growing evidence of bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics and the consequent potential for decolonization failure has made evaluating non-antibiotic methods a priority. Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use can help decrease antibiotic resistance and healthcare costs, and improve patient outcomes.
“It was important to us to bring forward an antiseptic nasal decolonization solution that would help protect patients from SSIs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria while enabling stewardship. Using the swabs can also increase the likelihood of compliance because the responsibility for application is shifted from patients to trained healthcare professionals,” noted Dr. Lyles.
SSIs are common and costly for both healthcare facilities and patients. They account for approximately 23 percent of HAIs4 and an excess of up to $3.5 billion in healthcare expenditures per year. The per- patient cost for an SSI can be as high as $60,0006 and increase the average length of hospital stays from seven to 11 days.
According to Clorox, the swabs are clinically shown to be non-irritating and well tolerated in the nares after 10 applications. They are further shown to reduce 99.4% of S. aureus at 1 hour and maintain persistence through 12 hours in an in vitro study.
“Clorox Healthcare understands the urgency to act on antibiotic stewardship,” said Dr. Rosie D. Lyles, head of clinical affairs for Clorox Healthcare. “Antibiotics save lives, but inappropriate prescribing and misuse puts patients at risk.”
In 2014, one in seven surgical site infections (SSIs) was caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria identified as urgent or serious threats by the CDC. Nasal decolonization has become an important strategy to reduce the risk of SSIs as part of a bundled approach to infection prevention. However, growing evidence of bacterial resistance to commonly used antibiotics and the consequent potential for decolonization failure has made evaluating non-antibiotic methods a priority. Reducing unnecessary antibiotic use can help decrease antibiotic resistance and healthcare costs, and improve patient outcomes.
“It was important to us to bring forward an antiseptic nasal decolonization solution that would help protect patients from SSIs and antibiotic-resistant bacteria while enabling stewardship. Using the swabs can also increase the likelihood of compliance because the responsibility for application is shifted from patients to trained healthcare professionals,” noted Dr. Lyles.
SSIs are common and costly for both healthcare facilities and patients. They account for approximately 23 percent of HAIs4 and an excess of up to $3.5 billion in healthcare expenditures per year. The per- patient cost for an SSI can be as high as $60,0006 and increase the average length of hospital stays from seven to 11 days.
According to Clorox, the swabs are clinically shown to be non-irritating and well tolerated in the nares after 10 applications. They are further shown to reduce 99.4% of S. aureus at 1 hour and maintain persistence through 12 hours in an in vitro study.