Italian Vascular Access Group Recommends Use of SecurAcath on COVID-19 Patients

The recommendation document was released on April 5, 2020 by a group of experts from the Long Term Central Venous Access Group (GAVeCeLT) and covers important aspects of vascular access in COVID-19 patients, based on their current experience in the treatment of these patients.

The document states, “The health emergency linked to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a series of dramatic changes in the routine of our clinical practice, requiring the revision of many decision-making processes, the re-organization of treatment units, and the reformulation of protocols and procedures. In this regard, in the practice of venous access - which is essential for the appropriate treatment of COVID-19 patients - it was necessary to review the criteria for the selection, insertion and maintenance of the various devices currently present in our Italian hospitals.”

The document goes on to state, “An important precaution in the COVID-19 patient concerns the prevention of central venous catheter dislocation. In fact, the risk of dislodgment is particularly high in this type of patient, particularly during the maneuvers of pronation-supination. The partial or total dislocation of a CICC or PICC in a COVID-19 patient (and therefore the need for repositioning it) not only implies a waste of resources (as in the non-COVID-19 patient, with the addition of the valuable personal protective equipment, unfortunately limited in its availability), but also to a new risk of contamination of the operator when repeating the procedure. It is therefore necessary to consider the use of subcutaneously anchored securement, which will make the dislocation less likely especially in the agitated patient or in the patient undergoing periodic pronation.”

The entire document can be accessed here: https://gavecelt.it/nuovo/sites/default/files/uploads/GAVeCeLT%20-%20Considerations%20on%20the%20use%20of%20vascular%20access%20devices%20in%20patients%20with%20COVID-19.pdf

Dr. Mauro Pittiruti, a surgeon at the Catholic University Hospital in Rome, co-founder of GAVeCeLT and the WoCoVA Foundation (World Conference of Vascular Access) commented, “The use of SecurAcath subcutaneous anchored securement to prevent dislocation of central venous catheters is especially important in COVID-19 patients.”

Joe Goldberger, President and CEO of Interrad Medical remarked, “We are working to support the increasing and dynamic demands of COVID-19 patients. We are supporting these needs with product, training, and sharing of global experiences to improve outcomes.” For more details visit the SecurAcath Linked In and Facebook pages.

The SecurAcath is the only subcutaneous catheter securement device that lasts the life of the line and can dramatically decrease catheter dislodgement and migration, decrease catheter replacement costs, reduce catheter-related infections and other complications, prevent therapy interruption, and lower total cost of patient care. Learn more at https://securacath.com/

About Interrad Medical, Inc.

Plymouth, Minnesota-based Interrad Medical, Inc. is a developer, manufacturer and marketer of medical devices designed for minimally-invasive interventional and surgical procedures.

This press release contains forward-looking statements. The Company wishes to caution the reader of this press release that actual results may differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and may be adversely affected by, among other things, risks associated with litigation, clinical trials, the regulatory approval process, reimbursement policies and commercialization of new technologies.

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