NHS recognises impact of BIOPATCH antimicrobial dressing
Chlorhexidine Gluconate dressing helps to reduce local infections, catheter-related blood stream infections and skin colonisation commonly suffered by patients with central venous or arterial catheters
BIOPATCH has been recognised as a pioneering product with its recent inclusion in the NHS Catalogue of Potential Innovation .
This acknowledgment is not only a testament to the product’s extensive evidence base, but also encourages service improvement leaders to consider BIOPATCH as an innovation that can support good patient care.
An antimicrobial dressing with Chlorhexidine Gluconate (CHG), it helps to reduce local infections, catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSI), and skin colonisation of microorganisms commonly related to CRBSI in patients with central venous or arterial catheters. The catalogue notes that BIOPATCH reduces CRBSIs by up to 69% and is proven to kill the most common pathogens such as MRSA & MSSA.
“We have always believed that BIOPATCH is an innovative product and we are pleased that the Department of Health’s, Innovation, Health and Wealth organisaton shares this view,” said Andrew Cleworth, business manager of BIOPATCH, which is mmanufactured by Ethicon, a Johnson & Johnson Company.
“Some hospitals are saving hundreds of thousands of pounds, simply by reducing their CRBSI rates with the implementation of BIOPATCH as part of their bundle of care. Our aim is always to ensure that hospital CRBSI rates are further reduced and that we contribute to improving patient outcomes.”
Without the use of BIOPATCH, resident bacteria quickly recolonise on the skin’s surface following antiseptic application. BIOPATCH’s unique mode of action works by gradually releasing the antimicrobial and antifungal CHG from the hydrophilic foam matrix. “
Recent statistics from NICE have shown that 300,000 patients a year suffer from healthcare acquired infections (HCAIs) of which 18% (or 54,000) are attributed to CRBSIs. As the majority of these infections come from the patient’s own skin, it can be very challenging to predict which patients may be susceptible to infection. For this reason and as evidence shows BIOPATCH has been a proven CRBSI preventative and is increasingly considered as the standard of care.
The issues of infection and antimicrobial infections were recently highlighted in a report by England’s chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies. She stated that: “It is essential that we continue to develop our defences against infectious disease and to do this we must align policy, science, innovation and clinical excellence.” The report provides further support of the importance of prevention of infections in hospitals that can potentially lead to threats to life.”