Enhancing Your Infection Prevention Strategy with Single-Use Packets
Infection control practices to reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) are a top priority for healthcare facilities across the nation, with about one in 31 hospital patients being diagnosed with at least one HAI on any given day, according to the CDC.
Ultrasound is a critical diagnostic tool used every day in departments throughout the hospital, however, ultrasound gel is often overlooked as a vehicle for spreading infection to patients. In today’s post, we’ll go over 3 ways your healthcare facility can benefit from switching to single-use ultrasound packets while enhancing your infection prevention strategy.
Improve Patient Safety & Reduce Cross-Contamination
As a healthcare professional, you strive to improve patient safety in every way possible. Whether your procedure calls for sterile, or non-sterile gel, single-use packets can reduce the risk of cross-contamination and protect patients from developing life-threatening infections.
Our single-use packets reduce the opportunities for bacteria to make it from one patient to another and are specifically designed to be used with only one patient and then discarded.
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Reduce Gel Waste
Upwards of 14% of ultrasound gel goes used in traditional gel bottles as it adheres to the walls and bottom of a bottle, while single-use packets allow sonographers to use virtually 100% of the packet contents.
To help reduce gel waste further, HR Pharmaceuticals offers a 32g packet unique to the EcoVue product portfolio. The 32g packet is ideal for procedures that require more than one 20g packet of gel, but less than two 20g packets, helping to reduce gel and landfill waste.
Cut Down on Costs
While switching to single-use packets may not initially appear to be a cost advantage, the long-term benefits are paramount, especially when it comes to patient safety.
Many facilities may try to cut costs by refilling ultrasound gel bottles however, the practice of refilling ultrasound gel into ‘reusable’ 250ml bottles has been associated with an increased risk of cross-contamination. This is mainly due to the bottles and gel being exposed to multiple patients and the increased handling during refilling. To discourage refilling bottles, HR Pharmaceuticals does not offer a 5-liter container for the EcoVue product portfolio.
The potential savings on multi-use packaging, such as a 5-liter container, can be offset by the expenses associated with cross-contamination and infection complications.
Is your facility ready to make the switch to single-use packets?
Designed for safety
SafeWrap® Sterile Packaging
Available in the original medium viscosity formula and high viscosity formula, EcoVue Sterile Ultrasound Gel single-use 20g packets with SafeWrap® provide a sterile field-ready solution to meet the increasingly stringent infection prevention and control demands of today’s healthcare environment.
