Major Medical Association Includes Need for Port Protectors to Fight Infections

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 8, 2014) - Ivera Medical announced that there was a significant endorsement of alcohol-impregnated port protectors, which Ivera pioneered with its Curos^® device. The announcement comes from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), who worked with other organizations in defining the best practices for preventing infections. The findings were published in the document: Strategies to Prevent Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections in Acute Care Hospitals: 2014 Update, published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (ICHE), July 2014.

The new guidelines include the use of "an antiseptic-containing hub/connector cap/port protector to cover connectors," for hospitals "where there are ongoing opportunities for improvement." The evidence provided for this guideline received the highest level available (Category I) from the authors, citing a peer-reviewed study by Sweet et al, which featured the benefits they found by using Curos port protectors.

"We are pleased to see the guidelines from a group with SHEA's reputation and clout; and, it is yet another sign that we are moving towards a standard of care," said Bob Rogers, CEO of Ivera. "Curos is the market leader for several reasons and we are proud of the lengthy reference list of hospitals using Curos. This type of endorsement provides many facilities with the encouragement they might need to implement recent technological advances."

Curos, which unlike other port protectors, has FDA 510 (k) clearance for disinfection in just 3 minutes and up to 7 days if the cap is not removed, is the leader in alcohol disinfection caps, with its Curos Port Protectors, Curos for Tego^®, and Curos Tips™ for male luers. "Although many hospitals are making great strides in improving their disinfection protocols, and we are proud to play a significant role here, the data suggests that most hospitals still have important progress to make. Our commitment is to continue to work with hospitals to share best practices through our proprietary clinical integration process, and continue our product innovation to provide hospitals the help they need," said Mr. Rogers.