Tuesday, October 30, 2012: 8:30 AM
Since 2005 three major factors have influenced the approach to device associated nosocomial infections: 1) a focus on device management, care, and practices; 2) policy change resulting federal healthcare non-payment for nosocomial infections, and 3) increased use of indwelling devices in developing countries. Today, CAUTI, VAP, and CRBSI continue to be the leading causes of nosocomial infections in developed countries, and in developing countries the incidence of device associated infections is 3-4X higher. As yet, microbial control devices have not made the impact that was forecast 10 years ago. The trends and approaches in dealing with device related infections over the past 7 years will be reviewed with emphasis on how this has impacted control device development and emphasis. The future directions, needs, and hurdles for microbial control devices will be discussed