Arrow International Inc - Products - Arrow Pressure Injectable Maximal Barrier Precautions Tray

Purchasing and infection prevention

PURCHASING AND INFECTION PROTECTION

Why wouldn’t you eliminate antiseptic solutions, such as skin preps and hand soap, to save money? Because they cost much less than the infections they prevent. Arrow catheters impregnated with our ARROWg⁺ard antimicrobial technology deliver precisely the same benefit over unprotected catheters.

Studies show the typical hospital has a catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI) rate of just 3 to 5 percent. And according to the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), the cost of treating a single CRBSI can range from $34,508 to $91,733 or more due to pharmacy charges, catheter changes, additional days in the ICU, lab tests and extended hospital stays.^1,2

Trying to cut those costs by using an unprotected catheter without clinical data to support its value can actually be more costly.

Why Do Inexpensive Catheters Cost You So Much?

Let’s assume you pay $60 for an unprotected catheter. Even if your institution’s CRBSI rate is only 3 percent (3 out of every 100 catheters placed), and it costs just $34,508 to treat each CRBSI, that’s equivalent to paying an extra charge of $1,035 per catheter. Multiply that by the hundreds of catheters you use each year, and the cost can be staggering (see chart).

Contrast that with ARROWg⁺ard-impregnated catheters. Studies show a dramatic 80 percent drop in catheter-related bacteremia due to ARROWg⁺ard.³ Meaning your facility would prevent at least one infection (and probably more) per every 100 catheters by switching to ARROWg⁺ard. More patients would be protected,⁴ your hospital would save money and Arrow’s catheters would pay for themselves.

Here’s another way to look at it, assuming a 3 percent infection rate.

Unprotected Catheter	ARROWg⁺ard-Impregnated Catheter
Catheters used per year	500	500
Total infections	15	3 (80% reduction)³
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 ARROWg⁺ard		$407,596

REFERENCES:

¹ O'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.” Centers for Disease Control, August 9, 2002, Vol. 51, No. RR10, pp. 7–8.

² Murphy, D., Whiting, J. “Dispelling the Myths: The True Cost of Healthcare-Associated Infections.” An APIC Briefing, February 2007.

³ Maki, 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.

⁴ Veenstra, D.L., Saint, S., Saha, S., Lumley, T., Sullivan, S.D. “Cost-Effectiveness of Antiseptic-Impregnated Central Venous Catheters for the Prevention of Catheter-Related Bloodstream Infection.” Journal of the American Medical Association, January 20, 1999, Vol. 281, Issue 3, pp. 261–267.