Access Scientific announced the FDA clearance of its new 3 French, 6cm Powerwand — the first true Extended-Dwell Intravenous Catheter (EDC). The IV catheter is uniquely designed for forearm and upper-arm (midline) placement to eliminate the repetitive needlesticks experienced by many hospitalized patients.
The 3Fr Powerwand, made of proprietary ChronoflexC, is longer than standard hospital IVs and more effective for drawing blood tests, administering fluids (75 ml/min) and power-injecting CT contrast media (8ml/sec).
“Our new 3Fr Powerwand, with its versatility and superb performance characteristics, offers hospitalized patients of all ages the opportunity for a one-stick hospitalization,” said Jeff Goble, CEO of Access Scientific. “The era of the patient as a pincushion may well be drawing to an end.”
The company considers its groundbreaking EDC 3Fr Powerwand — which is available with the company’s AST and XL delivery systems — the first product entry of its kind into the potential 15 million U.S. units/year EDC category.
Prior to the introduction of the Powerwand extended-dwell catheter, clinicians had limited choices for vascular access in patients receiving fluids and non-irritant medications. Short peripheral IV catheters — the most frequently used access devices in hospital environment — have a known failure rate of nearly 50%, causing patients to suffer repetitive needlesticks in order to complete therapy. Central venous access can be the last resort for such patients, and that approach carries with it a higher risk of potentially life-threatening complications such as central bloodstream infections.
The Powerwand is a natural line extension from Access Scientific’s best-in-class Powerwand 4Fr and 5Fr midlines. These 4FR and 5FR midline catheters have been proven in peer-reviewed, published studies to reduce both central line days and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs).
These Powerwand midlines boast the lowest total-complication rate and highest completion-of-therapy rate ever published. They continue to be powerful change agents for institutions concerned with CLABSI reduction and value-based purchasing, saving both lives and money.
Powerwand midlines offer a true alternative by allowing safe access in the deeper vessels of the upper arm. But many millions of patients will not require such deeply placed lines. Now, with the advent of Powerwand 3Fr, those patients can receive fluids and medications via a Powerwand Chronoflex C catheter in the shallower vessels in the forearm: one stick, one catheter, one satisfied patient.
“We finally have the tool our toolbox has been missing for decades,” said Jona Caparas, vascular access team leader at New York Presbyterian’s Hospital, in Queens, N.Y. “Everyone wins with this new Powerwand 3Fr catheter—especially our patients.”
Access Scientific
accessscientific.com
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