Reducing Infections Reduces Costs

How will an uncoated, unprotected catheter help?

Catheter-related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs) do happen. Even highly focused programs in hospitals report low CRBSI rates between 2 and 5 percent. But no matter how infrequent they may be, CRBSIs are expensive. Treating a single incident can total $56,000 or more due to pharmacy charges, catheter changes, additional days in the ICU, lab tests and extended hospital stays.¹

It stands to reason then that institutions wanting to cut costs should focus on cutting their rate of infection. And that’s exactly what our ARROWg⁺ard^® technology can do.

See How Much You Can Save With ARROWg⁺ard

See how much you can save by using our online savings calculator. Enter the following information:

• Catheters per year - the number of catheters you use per year
• Pick a rate
  • Select and enter your infection rate (CRBSI)
  • -OR- select and enter your infection rate per 1000 catheter days
• Enter your unprotected catheter cost
• Enter the ARROWg⁺ard catheter cost
• Enter the Cost Per Infection
• Click Calculate to calculate the savings

Proven Defense Against Infection

Pioneers in infection prevention

Over 30 clinical reviews validate the effectiveness, safety and cost benefit of using our innovative ARROWg⁺ard antiseptic technology. No other company’s catheters have such a strong track record.

We pioneered the antiseptic-impregnated catheter in 1990. Since then our innovative ARROWg⁺ard antiseptic technology has been proven to reduce catheter-related bacteremia by 80 percent.²

Now our latest breakthrough, ARROWg⁺ard Blue PLUS^®, gives you that proven infection-fighting ability both outside and in, including extension lines and hubs. So chlorhexidine and silver sulfadiazine continuously prep the subcutaneous catheter tract and kill organisms in places that you simply can’t reach.

"CDC Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections" specifically recommend using a chlorhexidine-silver sulfadiazine-impregnated catheter in conjunction with other risk-reduction measures to lower incidence of CRBSI--and caution that antibiotic-coated catheters could increase the incidence of resistant pathogens.³

References

¹O’Grady et al. “Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections,” Infection Control Hospital Epidemiology, Dec. 2002, Vol. 23, Issue 12, pp. 759–769.

²Maki, D.G., Stolz, S.M., Wheeler, S., Mermel, L.A. “Prevention of Central Venous Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection With an Antiseptic-Impregnated Catheter: A Randomized, Controlled Trial,” Annals of Internal Medicine, August 15, 1997, Vol. 127, Issue 4, pp. 257–266.

³O'Grady, N.P., Alexander, M., Dellinger, E.P., Gerberding, J.L., Heard, S.O.Maki, D.G., Masur, H., McCormick, R.D., Mermel, L.A., Pearson, M.L., Raad, I.I., Randolph, A., Weinstein, R.A. “Guidelines for the Prevention of Intravascular Catheter-Related Infections,” The Centers For Disease Control, August 9, 2002, Vol. 51, No. RR10, pp. 7–8.

Full bibliography available upon request.

Patents

ARROWg⁺ard/ARROWg⁺ard Blue PLUS: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,706,024 and 6,812,195
SharpsAway II™: U.S. Patent Nos. 6,123,193 and 6,276,527
Catheter Fixation Staple: U.S. Patent No. RE 37,814

Sample calculation of savings using ARROWg⁺ard-impregnated catheter

Savings by rate of infection	Unprotected Catheter	ARROWg+ard- impregnated catheter
Catheters used per year	500	500
Total infections	15	3 (80% reduction)2
Cost per infection	$34,508	$34,508
Total infection cost	$517,620	$103,524
Cost per catheter	$60	$73
Total catheters + infections	$547,620	$140,024
Savings using AGB		$407,596

 

Savings by 1,000 catheter days	Unprotected Catheter	ARROWg+ard- impregnated catheter
Catheters used per year	500	500
Infections per 1,000 catheter days	4.4	0.88(80% reduction)2
Cost per infection	$34,508	$34,508
Total infection cost	$546,240	$109,248
Cost per catheter	$60	$73
Total catheters + infections	$576,240	$145,748
Savings using AGB		$430,492

For more information please call Arrow Customer Service.