Disposable Blood Pressure Cuffs a Key Part of Infection Control Strategy

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Category: Infection Control

Tuesday, August 07 2012

Written by Kenny Andersen

Much has been written lately on the changing landscape of healthcare, and how many hospital executives are targeting quality, safety and infection control as a way to improve outcomes and lower costs. Of particular concern is reducing the occurrence of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) and patient readmissions.

HAI's Increase Hospital Readmission Rates

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Category: Infection Control

Monday, June 11 2012

Written by Stephanie Monk

In previous posts we’ve written about hospitals incorporating new infection control strategies, like dedicating a disposable blood pressure cuff to a patient during their stay, largely to help reduce operational costs.The goal of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) of 2010 is to reduce healthcare costs while improving the quality of patient care. Even though reducing Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) is a top priority at hospitals nationwide, the new healthcare law is also financially incentivizing hospitals to lower readmission rates. Starting in October 2012, hospitals with the highest readmission rates face up to a 1% cut in Medicare pay. By October 2014, hospitals with the highest readmission rates can lose up to 3% of their Medicare reimbursements.

10 Things To Look For When Purchasing Disposable Cuffs

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Category: Infection Control

Monday, February 27 2012

Written by Stephanie Monk

With the passing of the new healthcare law in 2010, more emphasis has been placed on reducing Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAIs) throughout acute-care hospitals. Not only does this new healthcare law have financial penalties for hospitals with the highest rates of HAIs, this law also requires mandatory public reporting of HAI rates for all hospitals in the United States.

Hospitals are currently implementing more stringent Infection Control Policies to reduce the spread of HAIs. Our current e-book details the 7 reasons why disposable cuffs should be a part of an effective infection control program and our Disposable Cuff ROI Calculator shows the potential cost savings of using disposable cuffs over reusable cuffs. So even though you know your healthcare facility needs to use to disposable cuffs, what should you look for when selecting and purchasing these cuffs?

New Healthcare Law Means Big Penalties for Hospitals with High HAI Rates

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Category: Infection Control

Wednesday, November 02 2011

Written by Stephanie Monk

Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) are one of the hottest topics in healthcare right now. Over 2,000,000 patients in the United States acquire HAIs, which adds an average of 8 days to the hospital stay and causes approximately 99,000 deaths per year.⁶ The total annual cost to treat these HAIs in the United States is between $35.7 billion and $45 billion with the average in hospital cost per patient between $20,549 and $25,903.⁷ 

Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) Rates Influencing Patients’ Hospital Selection

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Category: Infection Control

Tuesday, August 30 2011

Written by Stephanie Monk

Being a part of the healthcare industry, we know that reducing healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), such as MRSA (Methicillinresistant Staphylococcus aureus) and C.Diff (Clostridium Difficile), continues to be a top priority for hospitals everywhere.  What is surprising though is that based on a survey conducted in July 2011, prospective patients are becoming increasingly aware of a hospital’s ability to protect their patients from HAIs and are using this information as a major factor in determining where they seek care.

Top 7 Reasons to Use Disposable BP Cuffs to Reduce the Transmission of HAI's

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Category: Infection Control

Thursday, June 23 2011

Written by Stephanie Monk

There have been decades of research on the transmission of Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) throughout healthcare settings.  Studies have shown patients can be exposed to HAIs from contaminated healthcare workers’ attire, environmental surfaces (cabinets, bedrails, countertops, etc.), and reusable medical equipment.^7,8  Therefore, many healthcare facilities have implemented Infection Prevention and Control programs to help reduce the spread of HAIs.  Some of the strategies employed to help control HAIs include hand washing and the use of disposable items, such as disposable blood pressure cuffs. With that in mind, the following is an abbreviated list of the “Top 7 Reasons to Use Disposable BP Cuffs to Reduce the Transmission of Healthcare-Associated Infections.”  To download our free ebook version with more in-depth information, please click here.

MRSA BEWARE: Honey Can Potentially Reverse Antibiotic Resistance

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Category: Infection Control

Wednesday, May 11 2011

Written by Stephanie Monk

As a manufacturer of disposable blood pressure cuffs, we are always interested in new information concerning infection control and potential ways to control antibiotic resistant bacteria (“superbugs”). Since superbugs are creating a serious and growing global threat to public health, the World Health Organization has made antibiotic resistance the central focus of this year’s World Health Day. Furthermore, the Infectious Disease Society of America (ISDA) warns that “unless sweeping actions are taken now, the future could resemble the days before these miracle drugs were developed. People will die of common infections and many medical interventions we take for granted – surgery, chemotherapy, organ transplantation, and premature infant care – will no longer be possible.”

Move Over MRSA & C.Diff, There is a New Superbug in Town

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Category: Infection Control

Tuesday, March 22 2011

Written by Stephanie Monk

Most people have heard about the more popular “superbugs” (antibiotic resistance bacteria) such as MRSA (Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus) and C.Diff (Clostridium Difficile). But now there is a “new” superbug starting to get alot of attention: NDM-1.

So what exactly is NDM-1 and how is it transmitted? How can disposable blood pressure cuffs play a role in combating this and other infections? These questions, and more, are answered below:

Blood Pressure Monitoring and Infection Control

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Category: Infection Control

Thursday, July 01 2010

Written by Kent Lupino

Infection control has long been a hot topic for acute-care hospitals, and has been the focus of patient advocacy groups, the popular press, and legislators for some time. Old stories of sponges and instruments being left inside patients by harried doctors and nurses have been supplanted by nightmarish scenarios containing ominous-sounding names like Clostridium difficile and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Unfortunately, for many patients in today's healthcare system, hypothetical scenarios and clinical studies have become a real matter of life and death. As a result, the spotlight is expanding to include other areas of the healthcare continuum-including long-term care facilities.