Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are life-threatening for patients and costly for hospitals. In high-income countries, approximately 7% of hospitalized patients and 30% of ICU patients acquire an HAI1. However, according to IPAC Canada, it is estimated that up to 70% of HAIs infections are preventable2.
As a global leader in critical care, Dräger is acutely aware of this issue and is addressing infection prevention and control in a variety of ways, including product design, sharing best practices, designing hygienic workplaces, and providing disposable accessories.
IPC product strategy - hygienic by design
—We incorporate IPC design into our medical devices from the earliest stages of product development. Our products can be easily surface-disinfected, easily dismantled and assembled.
Infection Prevention Control Philosophy
Breaking the chain of infection
—Dräger devices have the following properties to help you reprocess your devices:
- Smooth, robust surfaces without cavities and niches
- Rounded design with no sharp edges or overhang
- Good accessibility of surfaces
- Covered cable conduits
- Wall or ceiling systems
- Simple disassembly and assembly
Our Reprocessing and Preparation Library
—As a medical technology manufacturer, Dräger contributes to infection protection guidelines and standards. To prevent nosocomial infections, the chain of infection must be broken, which can be done, among other measures, through the correct preparation of medical products.
Infection prevention and control in the workplace
—Dräger experts can work with you to create a clinical perioperative workplace customized to your needs. Each installation supports optimal hygiene, workplace ergonomics, and safety – as well as faster clean-up and turnaround times.
Check out our case studies on successfully addressing nosocomial infection in the hospital:
Standardised processes for anesthesia systems
The Hospital Magdeburg is satisfied with the concept that has been developed in close cooperation with Dräger and whose main issue is a new process standard for the preparation of anesthesia workplaces and an increased use of disposables.
Disposables Support Processes in Logistics and Infection Prevention
Set2go saves time and helps to standardize processes when changing accessories at the device (enhanced safety by ease of use) and provides highest IPC standards due to usage of disposables.
Dr. Sadi Konuk Hospital, Istanbul: increasing survival rates of premature babies
In several analyses, 60-70% of NICU care costs were attributed to daily room charges, making length of stay the single most important cost-related variable. Reducing the rate of hospital-acquired infections is a well-known method to decrease the average length of stay.
Design of Workplaces for Different Acute Care Areas
At the new university hospital 'Bocage' in Dijon, France, management gives a positive summary of workplace design with Dräger products despite challenges in planning.
Cybersecurity in Healthcare
—Medical device cybersecurity in hospitals is an ongoing issue. Breaches in security can affect the well-being of patients and incur additional costs and downtime. Take a look at some steps you can take to keep your devices and patients safe.
Get in Touch With Dräger
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2425 Skymark Ave, Unit 1
Mississauga, ON L4W 4Y6
Call us from 8 am - 5 pm (ET), Monday - Friday
References
1 World Health Organization Report on the Burden of Endemic Health Care-Associated Infection Worldwide; 2011
2 IPAC CANADA: The Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) Program Standard; December 2016