Every patient deserves to be protected
Vital Protection against serious consequences
Skin is vital. It completes and surrounds us, it provides a protective shield and is the body’s foremost barrier against microbial attack. However, it is also fragile, and once punctured or torn, this natural defence is destroyed1, allowing pathogens to invade the body. Therefore, every break in the skin is potentially serious2.
The burden of healthcare-associated infection (HCAI)
- Globally HCAIs cost healthcare providers billions of dollars per year. For example the annual cost of HCAIs in Europe is estimated at €13-24 billion per year3
- HCAIs can increase the length of hospital stay required. In Europe it is estimated that these infections generate approximately 25 million extra bed days of hospital stay per year3
- HCAIs also contribute to increased patient pain and distress and in the most serious cases can be fatal. Each year in Europe there are an estimated 50,000 deaths which are directly caused by infections and an additional 135,000 deaths to which infections contributed3
Appropriate woundcare can reduce the burden of HCAI
The importance of woundcare in the prevention and treatment of HCAIs has been recognized globally. For example, the National Institute for Health & Clinical Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom has developed woundcare guidelines to support the prevention and treatment of surgical site infections2 (SSI).
It is now recognized that many dressings such as gauze and non-woven dressings may provide a poor barrier to infection, and could contribute to the burden of HAIs1. These ‘non-barrier’ dressings could exacerbate infection risk by not protecting against the passage of microbes from the patient’s surroundings into the wound environment.
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| Image of gauze taken by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)4 | Image of Mepore™ taken by SEM4 | Image of IV3000◊* taken by SEM4 |
* IV3000 is the top film for OPSITE Post-Op and OPSITE Post-Op Visible
At Smith & Nephew, we believe that when a break occurs in the skin, using a barrier dressing should be the first strategy for the management of wounds.
Smith & Nephew’s barrier dressings such as OPSITE¤ Post-Op and OPSITE¤ Post-Op Visible provide an impermeable barrier to bacteria, including MRSA5, in addition to offering optimal healing environments. The images below demonstrate the effective protection that Smith & Nephew barrier dressings provide against Pseudomonas Aeruginosa when compared to a non-woven dressing4.
 IV3000◊ outer surface |
 IV3000◊ wound contact surface |
 Mepore™ outer surface |
 Mepore™ wound contact surface |