LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Nationally-acclaimed
researcher and award-winning author Dr. Cynthia C. Chernecky warned
in a speech at the 11th National Conference on Cancer Nursing
Research that silver treated IV connectors could actually cause
potentially deadly infections they were supposed to prevent.
After testing antimicrobial effectiveness of three different
needleless IV connector devices with silver coated or silver
impregnated fluid pathway components, Dr. Chernecky, PhD, RN, AOCN,
FAAN, said that despite FDA clearance of silver coatings, she found
they actually grew bugs capable of causing potentially fatal
infections.
Presenting to the Oncology Nursing Society and American Cancer
Society, the nation’s highest-level conference on oncology nursing,
Dr. Chernecky’s podium address was a wake-up call to leaders in the
nursing profession in attendance. A professor of
Physiological and Technological Nursing at Georgia Health Sciences
University, Dr. Chernecky was invited to deliver her remarks in one
of the conference’s prestigious podium presentations. She is
author of 30 books on nursing, including one on “Advance and
Critical Care Nursing” that won the distinguished American Journal
of Nursing “Book of the Year” Award.
Asked in an interview following her talk how silver-coatings
received FDA clearance, Dr. Chernecky said the FDA was presented
with evidence from the manufacturers that their silver treated
needleless IV connectors were effective in killing bugs. But
when blood comes in contact with the silver coated or impregnated
fluid pathway components in practical use, the silver loses its
bug-killing capability and an intraluminal or biofilm condition is
created that actually nourishes bacteria.
“The FDA should consider requiring a blood component test
protocol when evaluating needleless IV connector products, just as
if you were testing a coffee maker you’d want coffee in it to see
ho
‘/>”/>
