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The coated antiseptic tip (CAT) syringe
Maryanne Mariyaselvam1, Emily Hodges, James Richardson
1The Critical Care Department, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital NHS Trust , Kings Lynn , UK.
Insights
The Coated Antiseptic Tip (CAT) syringe effectively decontaminates medical device connectors, significantly reducing bacterial contamination and preventing catheter-related blood stream infections (CR-BSI). This innovation offers a promising strategy to enhance patient safety in healthcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Infection Control
- Microbiology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Catheter-related blood stream infections (CR-BSI) represent a significant portion of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI).
- Colonization of catheter connector hubs and use of contaminated syringes are primary risk factors for CR-BSI.
- The development of effective decontamination strategies for catheter access points is crucial for infection prevention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the Coated Antiseptic Tip (CAT) syringe in decontaminating common critical care pathogens from needleless valves and three-way connectors.
- To assess the reduction in bacterial colonization within connector hubs following the use of CAT syringes compared to standard syringes.
- To determine the potential of the CAT syringe in mitigating the risk of CR-BSI.
Main Methods:
- Needleless valves and three-way connectors (n=20 each) were intentionally contaminated with common critical care pathogens.
- CAT syringes and control (non-coated) syringes were used to inject normal saline into the connector hubs at hourly intervals.
- Internal surfaces of connector hubs were swabbed at 0, 1, and 4 hours post-intervention, and bacterial growth (colony forming units - CFU) was quantified by a blinded microbiologist.
Main Results:
- Baseline swabbing confirmed 100% bacterial colonization of connector hubs in both groups.
- The CAT syringe demonstrated a statistically significant reduction in CFU counts at 0 and 1-hour intervals compared to control syringes (p < 0.05).
- Complete elimination of bacterial growth in both needleless valves and three-way connectors was observed at the 4-hour interval when using the CAT syringe.
Conclusions:
- The Coated Antiseptic Tip (CAT) syringe is highly effective in disinfecting both three-way and needleless connectors.
- The CAT syringe significantly reduces bacterial contamination on connector hubs, offering a promising method to prevent CR-BSI.
- This technology has the potential to improve patient safety by reducing the incidence of healthcare-associated infections related to central venous catheters.
Abstract:
Catheter-related blood stream infections (CR-BSI) account for 30% of healthcare acquired infection (HAI). Colonization of connector hubs and contaminated syringes are thought to increase the risk of CR-BSI. The Coated Antiseptic Tip (CAT) syringe was developed to decontaminate connector hubs, thereby reducing the risk of CR-BSI. Needleless valves (n = 20) and three-way connectors (n = 20) were contaminated with common critical care pathogens. At hourly intervals, CAT syringes were inserted into the connector hubs and normal saline was injected through the connector. This was repeated with control (non-coated) syringes. The internal surface of the connector hubs were swabbed at t = 0, t = 1 h and t = 4 h, inoculated onto blood agar plates and analysed by a blinded microbiologist. Growth was counted as the number of colony forming units. Baseline swabbing demonstrated 100% bacterial hub colonization in both connectors. The CAT syringe showed a significant reduction in CFU growth at 0 and 1 h compared with control syringes (p < 0.05). At 4 h, the CAT syringe completely eliminated bacterial growth in both of the connector hubs. The CAT syringe can effectively disinfect both three-way and needleless connectors.
