Hospitals Gain New Tool to Fight Surgical Site Infections

By Medline Newsroom Staff | February 15, 2019

Hospitals and surgical centers now have another tool available to prep patient skin in pre-operative care and standardize efforts to reduce the risk of surgical site infections (SSIs). Medline today announced the launch of its new FDA-approved ReadyPrep™ CHG cloths that are pre-saturated with 2 percent chlorhexidine gluconate, an antiseptic known for its ability to remove infection-causing bacteria from the skin.

SSIs remain a challenge despite surgical advances in surgical asepsis. Nearly 300,000 U.S. hospital patients are impacted by SSIs annually and the cost to the U.S. healthcare system ranges between $3.5 and $10 billion. Optimal pre-operative patient skin preparation can reduce microorganisms at the incision site. Medline’s new ReadyPrep CHG cloths are impregnated with 2 percent chlorhexidine gluconate and are larger than other wipes on the market to help promote consistent application.

“30 percent of the patient population is colonized with Staphylococcus aureus, and it is the leading pathogen that causes surgical site infections. An effective antiseptic like chlorhexidine gluconate can help prevent infections before a surgical procedure. When 2 percent CHG is pre-saturated on a cloth, it is ready for the healthcare provider to use. This helps drive standardization, and clinicians can feel confident they are effectively prepping the skin,” says Rosie Lyles, MD, MHA, MSc, clinical affairs director at Medline.

Hear more from Dr. Lyles on the importance of standardizing skin prep to reduce SSIs and get an inside look at ReadyPrep CHG at https://youtu.be/ZIp6c_FnH1o. Learn more about how Medline is working with care providers to combat SSIs at https://www.medline.com/pages/chg/.

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Categories: Company News, Infection Prevention

Medline Newsroom Staff

Medline Newsroom Staff

Medline's newsroom staff researches and reports on the latest news and trends in healthcare.

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