Johnson and Johnson’s (J&J) subsidiary Ethicon has discussed recommendations to ease the burden that surgical site infections (SSIs) impart on patients.
Held at the fourth International Consortium for Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC) conference in Geneva, Switzerland, the meeting also addressed the costs incurred by healthcare systems due to the infections across Europe, Middle East and Africa.
SSIs are considered a serious surgical complication and are reported to affect around 20% of patients who undergo surgery, resulting in enhanced morbidity and mortality rates among them.
The global guidelines on SSI prevention published by the World Health Organisation (WHO) last year recommended the use of triclosan-coated sutures during all types of surgery.
The proposal was further supported by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Surgeons / Surgical Infection Society, and European health technology assessment network (EUnetHTA).
Ethicon is currently claimed to be the only company to offer such triclosan-coated sutures called Plus Sutures, which are designed to inhibit colonisation of the suture by bacteria that are commonly associated with SSIs, minimising the occurrence.
Ethicon EMEA franchise vice-president Silvia De Dominicis said: “We want to see surgical site infections drastically reduced to relieve unnecessary suffering and reduce the associated costs for healthcare systems.
“We believe that all possible measures must be taken to help patients avoid SSIs and we are dedicated to partnering with the healthcare community to raise awareness, review the latest advancements and implement tactics to address this critical issue.”
Validated in-vitro, Ethicon’s triclosan-coated, absorbable sutures are available in knotless and standard variations.
