NEW BOWEL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO PLAY KEY ROLE IN BLITZ ON HOSPITAL ACQUIRED INFECTION

  A new bowel management system has been launched in the UK which could play a key role in the campaign announced by the Health Minister John Reid to cut hospital acquired infections, a problem highlighted in the National Audit Office Progress Report (July 14^th, 2004).  

The UK distributors of the system, specialist medical supplies company Actamed, are recommending the Zassi BMS system for patients who are immobilised, and unable to use the toilet or commode and where faecal waste increases the risk of infections such as clostridium difficile to staff and patients alike, potentially leading to the spread of antibiotic resistant organisms throughout the hospital.

The Zassi Bowel Management System (BMS) is specifically designed to divert and collect faecal waste from immobile patients, itself the common cause of contamination of pressure sores, burns and surgical sites.  Often unsuitable and unsuccessful methods are currently employed in immobilised patients in an attempt to manage the problem of faecal waste including items not designed for the purpose and which could lead to trauma or even injury to the patient.

The Zassi Bowel Management System resides atraumatically within the anorectal anatomy and is well tolerated by patients. The system is easily managed by healthcare professionals providing cost benefits by drastically reducing the need and frequency to change soiled bedding and dressings whilst at the same time protecting the process of wound healing and skin grafting from unwanted and costly infections.

Actamed are predicting that the Zassi BMS will play a key role in the efforts of hospitals to meet Health Minister John Reid’s campaign to cut infection rates and improve patient outcomes.  Up to nine percent of patients acquire an infection whilst in hospital, many of whom could be spared the risk and discomfort as well as cutting their length of stay and reducing the cost of administering expensive medication.

Actamed’s Specialist Products Sales Director, Mr Colin Lloyd commented: “The Health Minister has set the NHS challenging targets for cutting the rate of hospital acquired infections.  By introducing Zassi BMS into the UK we believe we will make a significant contribution towards achieving these targets.”

For more information about the Zassi Bowel Management System contact Catherine Grimshaw, Actamed Marketing Executive, on 01924 200550 or at

cgrimshaw@actamed.co.uk

Notes

  1.      BMS was developed through an inter-continental partnership between Zassi Medical Evolutions and Jae Hwang Kim, MD, PhD, a leading colon & rectal surgeon from Daegu , South Korea . Dr. Kim is Professor of Surgery and Director of the Anorectal Physiology Laboratory at the Yeungnam University School of Medicine in Daegu, and has invented numerous patented innovations for surgery.

2.      The National Audit Office Progress Report ( July 14^th 2004 ) on Hospital Acquired Infections found that:

• at any one time 9% of hospital patients has an infection picked up in the hospital
• they cost the NHS an estimated £1billion a year
• one of the biggest causes infection in hospitals is the use of medical devices
• hospital infections ere estimated to cause 5,000 deaths a year
• reducing hospital infections by just 15% can save hospitals £150million
• reducing hospital infections helps free up much needed beds
• there are approximately 300,000 hospital-acquired infections each year in the UK , costing £170million to treat