Today’s healthcare executives are faced with increasing challenges:

Teleflex Medical is committed to providing solutions that address challenges in the areas of critical care and surgical applications by providing solutions that help reduce infections and improve patient and provider safety. A global leader in disposable medical products for critical care and surgical applications, Teleflex Medical provides a broad range of products used in common procedures everyday in hospitals around the world.

Broad Portfolio of Products for Critical Care

Teleflex Medical products and brands are well known among healthcare providers and clinicians – Arrow, Hudson RCI, Rüsch, Sheridan, Pilling, Weck, Deknatel, and Pleur-evac, to name a few. All of these are established brands with a renewed focus on developing products that support infection control and patient and provider safety.

The company is committed to providing a range of products in venous access, respiratory care, anesthesia, urology, surgical devices for ligation, chest drainage and minimally invasive access. With the acquisition of Arrow International in October 2007, the company expanded its product lines to include central venous access, peripheral access, regional anesthesia, hemodynamic monitoring, dialysis access, and intra-aortic balloons and pumps.

Focusing on Infection Control and Patient Safety
Hospital acquired infections are a critical issue for hospitals all around the world. The cost, as measured in dollars, resources and reputation, and patient outcomes are driving hospitals to constantly evaluate procedures, training, and practices to improve outcomes.
According to recent statistics, blood stream infection is one of the most expensive and frequent types of hospital acquired infection. Since its introduction, the Arrow Maximal Barrier Protection Kit has helped reinforce practices that are known to reduce or prevent the occurrence of infection when using venous access catheters. The kit’s full body drape covers patients from head to toe, according to IHI guidelines. Resistant to fluids, the drape tears away from the patient for safe and easy disposal. Similarly, the gown, cap and mask with eye shield helps protect the clinician from contaminated fluids.
The Hi-Lite Orange® ChloraPrep® Applicator is used to prep the insertion site, while the Positive Pressure Valve helps prevent the reflux of blood when removing or changing devices at the injection port. During this process, the clinician can use the checklist in the kit as a reference to CDC and IHI guidelines.

Teleflex Medical also recently announced that the FDA has provided clearance to commercialize the Arrow Pressure Injectable Central Venous Catheter, which is a multi-lumen central venous catheter with the additional indication of pressure injection. The Arrow catheter is the only acute central venous catheter indicated for pressure injection up to 10ml/second. Arrow’s additional indication will reduce the stress on patients who up to now have had to endure subsequent catheter insertions. Thanks to this product, CT technicians will now have the option of using an indwelling pressure injectable Arrow CVC without having to insert another catheter just for their scan.

The CDC, IHI, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality support the use of ultrasound guidance for the placement of central venous catheters. The new Arrow echogenic needle, when used with ultrasound guidance, can improve success rates for venous access on the first attempt. This new needle is a superb complement to the Arrow InView™ Ultrasound System — a portable ultrasound machine specifically intended for vascular access.

For additional protection. ARROWg+ard® antimicrobial-impregnated central venous catheters are shown to be a critical ally in fighting blood stream infections. This claim is supported by more than 30 studies, clinical trials and meta-analyses.

To further development of new infection-fighting products, the Teleflex Medical Research and Development team has formed The Center for Antimicrobial Research and Engineering (CARE). Headquartered in Reading, Pa., CARE will dedicate key resources to the research and development of products with antimicrobial protection. Members of the CARE team will work with the existing marketing and development teams to scope, plan and execute each specific development project. To supplement the development of CARE from within the existing organization, the company is committing dollars and resources toward this effort. CARE is an opportunity for Teleflex Medical to make a significant difference in the marketplace and in patients’ lives.

Clearing the Air in Respiratory Care
Teleflex Medical has focused on preventing or reducing ventilator-associated pneumonia. The recently introduced Gibeck® Humid-Flo® HME device is placed between the ventilator circuit and the patient’s artificial airway. It heats and humidifies the air coming from a mechanical ventilator. The Humid-Flo helps prevent cross-contamination by allowing therapists to deliver aerosolized medication treatments without breaking the ventilator circuit. The Humid-Flo can help clinicians reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia, a leading hospital-acquired infection.

The company has also introduced new products in humidification and non-invasive ventilation to provide greater patient comfort. Most significant was the ConchaTherm® Neptune™ — a device designed to heat and humidify oxygen/air mixtures provided by a mechanical ventilator or other medical gas source.

Trusted Brand Names in the Surgical Suite
Teleflex Medical has long been known for trusted brands in specialty categories. One example is fluid management. The company recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of its Pleur-evac® chest drainage product by unveiling its baby sister — the new MINI Sahara, a smaller, more portable version of Teleflex Medical’s Sahara® unit. “I have used the Pleur-evac Sahara chest drainage product exclusively over the last decade in more than over 7500 operations,” states Robert James Cerfolio, MD, FACS, FCCP. Dr. Cerfolio is Professor of Surgery and Chief of Section of Thoracic Surgery at University of Alabama at Birmingham. “As I've written in several national and international publications, its patient air leak meter can help us send patients home sooner because we are able to manage the chest tube better and remove it sooner.”
Well-known among surgeons and hospital administrators, the Taut® brand includes specialized laparoscopic and other minimally invasive products for both general surgery and specialized procedures in gynecology, bariatrics, pediatrics and urology. We recently introduced the Taut ADAPt® Bladeless Access Port, which eliminates the need for metal or plastic blades and is less invasive for patients.

As the challenges to quality care grow, Teleflex Medical is expanding its portfolio of products and services to provide hospitals with world-class, worldwide resources.


About Teleflex Medical
Teleflex Medical is committed to solving the challenges of our changing healthcare environment in the areas of critical care and surgical applications by providing solutions that help reduce infections and improve patient and provider safety. It is a global organization dedicated to supporting healthcare providers with a broad range of medical solutions under the following well-known brand names: Arrow®, Beere®, Deknatel®, Gibeck®, Hudson RCI®, KMedic®, Pilling®, Pleur-evac®, Rüsch®, Sheridan®, SMD™, Taut®, TFX OEM®, and Weck®. Through this wide range of offerings, Teleflex Medical has built a reputation for excellence for nearly 200 years in the following areas:
• Venous access, anesthesiology, respiratory, and urology care
• Sutures, ligation, chest drains, surgical instrumentation, wound closure systems, and minimally invasive surgery products
• Single source for OEM medical device and surgical instrumentation needs
Teleflex Medical has more than 10,000 employees in more than 23 countries outside the United States.

Hi-Lite Orange® and ChloraPrep® are registered trademarks of Enturia, Inc. All the other trademarks used in this article are trademarks or registered trademarks of Teleflex Incorporated or its affiliates.