Catheter infection prophylaxis - by flushing with mixture of antibiotics and protease

摘要

It is estimated that 20000 patients die in the USA every year due to infection caused by catheters. A drastic redn. of this hazard is achieved by using a device (1) made of plastic material, for filling the catheter before every use with an antibiotic agent mixed with a protease. The device has two spaces. The first (3) is filled with a protease, e.g. alpha-chymotrypsin and is temporarily closed by a membrane (8) at the female thread (6) and cone (77) for joining to the catheter. An intentionally weak spot (13) in the partition (2) between this space and the second space (4) is burst by retracting the plunger (16). This results in mixing with the contents of the second space, e.g. an antibiotic or chemotherapeutic agent such as gentamycin. ADVANTAGE - This disposable device has been proved to be nearly 100% successful in animal experiments.