SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., March 4, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- In the wake of recently announced shortages in the availability of Cathflo® Activase®, commonly used to restore patency in occluded catheters1, ICU Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICUI) said that its Neutron catheter patency device may help clinicians deal with backorders of the drug by helping to reduce catheter occlusions by up to 50%2, adding that in a recent trial of Neutron by a major East Coast hospital, Cathflo usage was reduced by 74%.3
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The Neutroncatheter patency device is the first FDA-cleared device shown to significantly reduce all types of reflux into a catheter, and reducing reflux has been clinically shown to help reduce occlusions. Neutron may help efforts to enhance patient care and safety by reducing the risk of catheter occlusions. Reducing catheter occlusions can help minimize delay in therapy and procedures, minimize unnecessary patient discomfort, reduce length of stay, and decrease the need for and risks of expensive declotting agents such as Cathflo.
By reducing the risk of catheter occlusions and in turn reducing the cost of declotting agents and the incremental clinical costs associated with managing catheter occlusions, Neutron has the potential to provide significant cost savings for hospitals. A scenario illustrating the potential cost savings associated with switching to the Neutron catheter patency device for a hospital placing 2,000 central lines per year reveals that switching to Neutron could save the facility approximately $240,000 per year.4
Clinical performance of the Neutron device since its launch in 2012 has been so favorable that ICU Medical is offering its customers a $100,000 Performance Guarantee. If a health care facility does not experience a reduction in catheter occlusion rates in the first three months after converting all of its central IV lines to the Neutron, ICU Medical will pay that facility $100,000.
“As the company that created the safe IV connector category, we believe in the clinical and financial value of the Neutron device, but realize that it is often difficult for clinicians to advocate for the adoption of new technology,” explained ICU Medical, Inc. senior vice president of sales Richard Costello. “We hope that by offering a $100,000 Performance Guarantee for the Neutron we can encourage clinicians to pursue adoption of this breakthrough technology at their facilities by taking financial risk out of the equation.”
To qualify for the $100,000 Performance Guarantee, facilities need to agree to a few simple terms and conditions and commit to compiling and sharing occlusion data pre-and post-implementation of the Neutron Catheter Patency Device. To find out more about the guarantee, clinicians should contact their local ICU medical representative to begin the qualification process or call 1-800-824-7890 for more details.
Contact:Tom McCall, Vice President, Marketing
949-366-4368 tmccall@icumed.com
About ICU Medical, Inc.: ICU Medical, Inc. develops, manufactures and sells innovative medical devices used in vascular therapy, oncology and critical care applications. ICU Medical’s products improve patient outcomes by helping prevent bloodstream infections and protecting healthcare workers from exposure to infectious diseases or hazardous drugs. The company’s complete product line includes custom IV systems, closed delivery systems for hazardous drugs, needlefree IV connectors, catheters and cardiac monitoring systems. ICU Medical is headquartered in San Clemente, California. More information about ICU Medical, Inc. can be found at www.icumed.com. Cathflo® and Activase® are registered trademarks of Genentech USA.
1 http://www.ashp.org/DrugShortages/Current/Bulletin.aspx?Source=Current&Type=Rss&Id=996 2Observational in-vivo evaluation of the Neutron needlefree catheter patency device and its effects on catheter occlusions in a home care setting; ICU Medical Study Summary; 2012; M1-1315 Rev. 01; http://www.icumed.com/media/27672/m1-1315_neutron_homecare_sharp_studysumm_rev.1.pdf 3 Data on file, ICU Medical, Inc. 4Utilizing the Neutron Catheter Patency Device to Reduce the Clinical Costs Associated with Central Line Catheter Occlusion; ICU Medical White Paper; 2012; M1-1334 Rev. 01; http://www.icumed.com/media/124178/M1-1334%20Utilizing%20Neutron%20to%20Reduce%20Clin%20Costs%20Rev.01-Web.pdf
SOURCE ICU Medical, Inc.