PLYMOUTH, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Interrad Medical, a privately held medical device company, announces a new recommendation for use of SecurAcath on COVID-19 patients. The recommendation document was released on April 5, 2020 by a group of experts from the Long Term Central Venous Access Group (GAVeCeLT) and covers important aspects of vascular access in COVID-19 patients, based on their current experience in the treatment of these patients.
The document states, “The health emergency linked to the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a series of dramatic changes in the routine of our clinical practice, requiring the revision of many decision-making processes, the re-organization of treatment units, and the reformulation of protocols and procedures. In this regard, in the practice of venous access – which is essential for the appropriate treatment of COVID-19 patients – it was necessary to review the criteria for the selection, insertion and maintenance of the various devices currently present in our Italian hospitals.”
The document goes on to state, “An important precaution in the COVID-19 patient concerns the prevention of central venous catheter dislocation. In fact, the risk of dislodgment is particularly high in this type of patient, particularly during the maneuvers of pronation-supination. The partial or total dislocation of a CICC or PICC in a COVID-19 patient (and therefore the need for repositioning it) not only implies a waste of resources (as in the non-COVID-19 patient, with the addition of the valuable personal protective equipment, unfortunately limited in its availability), but also to a new risk of contamination of the operator when repeating the procedure. It is therefore necessary to consider the use of subcutaneously anchored securement, which will make the dislocation less likely especially in the agitated patient or in the patient undergoing periodic pronation.”
Reference:GAVeCeLT (2020) Considerations on the use of vascular access devices in patients with COVID-19 (and some practical recommendations). April 5th, 2020.