Presentation of a new study during SSAI-congressen in Malmö

During the ongoing SSAI * congress in Malmö, a study was presented on Bactiguard’s Infection Protection central venous catheter – BIP CVC. Less adverse events were reported in the Bactiguard group compared to the control group. The study also showed that Bactiguard’s noble metal alloy does not pose a patient or environmental risk.

The study was conducted at Karolinska University Hospital on patients undergoing major abdominal surgery. The aim of the study was to evaluate the product’s safety before future studies and broad use, which could be confirmed.

34 patients were divided into a control group (with uncoated standard CVC) and into an intervention group (with BIP CVC). When comparing the outcome, no adverse events were reported in the Bactiguard group, while five adverse events (of which 3 catheter-related) were reported in four patients in the control group.

The study also evaluated of the noble metals from BIP CVC in patients’ blood and on the catheters after use. It was found that the concentration were far below permitted daily exposure (PDE) for chronic use and far below those which are needed to develop microbial resistance.

The study was conducted by Sigridur Kalman, Karolinska Institutet, Claes Frostell, Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital and Gunilla Björling, Karolinska Institutet, Dept of Clinical Sciences, Danderyd Hospital/Red Cross University College and Bactiguard AB.

*SSAI – the Scandinavian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine – is an umbrella organization of the Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Societies of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and hosts a congress every other year, alternating between the five countries.