PEDIATRIC CATHETER APPROVED FOR SALE IN EUROPE

Cook Critical Care's Spectrum Minocycline/Rifampin Impregnated catheter has received CE Marking approval in Europe, in a move that the company says could significantly reduce the likelihood of children acquiring life-threatening infections during intensive care unit stays.

Although the catheter has been available for years in the U.S., Canada, Latin America and other countries, this is the first time the device will be available in Europe. "This approval will mean a reduced risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections for pediatric patients and save hospitals the enormous cost of treating these patients who develop infections," said Bruce Gingles, vice president of Cook Critical Care.

A 2003 study published by the journal Pediatric Critical Care Medicine demonstrated that pediatric patients receiving a central venous line were at 10 times greater risk of developing a catheter-related bloodstream infection (CRBSI), while a 2003 article in the journal Pediatric Infectious Diseases reported that CRBSI's are "important causes of substantial morbidity, mortality and prolonged stays in pediatric intensive care units."