One of the most basic ways to prevent infection is to keep the end of an IV tubeset closed. The PadLock Set Saver acts as an aseptic docking station for open tubing ends, providing temporary aseptic storage of the IV administration line when disconnected from the patient.

Healthcare-associated infections are a staggering cause of increased provider costs and morbidity in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) consider healthcare-associated infections in the top ten leading causes of death in the U.S. Estimates indicate these infections account for a staggering 1.7 million hospital infections per year, leading to 99,000 associated deaths and an additional $4.5 to $11 billion or more in patient care costs. For the U.S., this means that as many as one hospital patient in ten acquires a healthcare-associated infection.

Intravenous therapy complications are a major contributor to bloodstream infections. Among the many root causes of infection through IV therapy is the simple issue of contamination caused when the system is not kept closed.

One of the simplest ways to prevent infection is to keep the end of an IV tubeset closed. However, studies show standard practice is often the opposite, with hanging IV sets left open for significant periods. Sixty-two percent of nurses surveyed reported that they disconnect primary infusions from a catheter hub for periods ranging from a few minutes to several hours. Surprisingly, the survey found only a few nurses that felt this practice should never be done.

The Institute for Safe Medication Practices spotlighted the problem of uncapped IV tubing in a July 26, 2007 Medication Safety Alert called “Failure to cap IV tubing and disinfect IV ports place patients at risk for infections.” Their recommendation was that exposed tube set ends must be covered with some sort of cap between uses. The bulletin further suggests that the port must be disinfected prior to connecting to a tubing or syringe to the port.

An IV tip cap is the most common way to keep IV sets closed between uses. Needles are no longer an appropriate choice for IV sets because of the many documented dangers for healthcare workers and the mandate for needleless connections in U.S. healthcare. Tip caps are relatively inexpensive, but the volumes needed in a major healthcare setting can be significant. Of great importance, however is that a sterile cap may not be available at the bedside at the time the caregiver needs the device. Too often, the result is that the line end is then left open, creating an opportunity for contamination and ultimately a bloodstream infection. So while tip caps fulfill the function, the process adds cost and extra steps.

The PadLock Set Saver is a reusable device that provides a secure seal for the tip of an IV administration set, preventing line contamination when the set is not being used for infusion. The device clamps onto an IV set and can be swabbed and reused.

The PadLock Set Saver was tested under worst-case and extreme microbial contamination conditions to demonstrate that it prevents ingress of microorganisms into the fluid path of a mating IV administration set. Testing showed no growth of the challenge organism over the entire test period in three test scenarios.