by Brianna Crandall — March 18, 2015—A device-related superbug outbreak in a Los Angeles hospital has revived concerns over device and facility sterilization, says independent medical market research provider Kalorama Information, and this will drive growth in the 3.1 billion dollar market for these services. Kalorama covered markets for device and facility sterilization in its report on the industry, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Control Markets.
Kalorama notes that the effectiveness of many antibiotics is waning dramatically, as more and more types of bacteria become resistant to antibiotics. This is forcing the industry to re-evaluate prevention, diagnosis, and treatment plans for patients in hospitals and other health facilities.
According to the report, nearly 180 patients at the University of California, Los Angeles’s (UCLA) Ronald Reagan Medical Center may have been exposed to potentially deadly bacteria from infected duodenoscopes, and two deaths are linked to the outbreak. The recent exposure to carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) is thought to be a result of a mostly routine endoscopic procedure.
After the outbreak was discovered, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a safety communication focusing on proper cleaning of the specific type of endoscope used, the duodenoscope, and the design complexity that may impede effective reprocessing of the device. The FDA has announced that from January 2013 through December 2014 a total of 75 reports were made to the administration, involving 135 patients in the United States, for possible microbial transmission from reprocessed duodenoscopes. The most recent event in California involves an additional 100+ patients.
Kalorama says the healthcare facility sterilization portion of the infection control business is a $3.1 billion business worldwide.
“In contrast, the market to diagnose and treat for these infections is a $10 billion market,” said Melissa Elder, Kalorama Information analyst and the author of the report. “The recent carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae cases discovered in California once again highlight the importance of sterilization of medical equipment and facilities.”
A growing list of treatment-resistant bacteria has surfaced in the medical community. CRE is a highly drug-resistant family of germs which has recently caused concern in the medical community around the world. Some reports suggest CRE is resistant to most antibiotics and may cause death in up to 50 percent of infected patients, points out Kalorama.
Effective reprocessing of reusable medical devices requires diligent cleaning and processing procedures that include recommendations from the FDA, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the manufactures of these devices, according to the report. In the case of duodenoscopes, Fujifilm, Olympus and Pentax are the three largest manufacturers marketing these devices.
Additional precautions can be implemented to ensure patients are at the lowest risk possible for coming in contact with pathogens. Sterilizing and disinfecting the reprocessing equipment, instruments in the health facility, the equipment, furniture, and all areas of patient and healthcare worker contact provide the best approach to preventing the spread of infection. This in combination with proper hand-washing techniques and procedures, screening and diagnosing, and using low-risk equipment all play a vital role in this fight, concludes Kalorama.
The Kalorama Information report, Healthcare Associated Infection (HAI) Control Markets: Disinfection, Area, Sterilization, Device Sterilization, Testing-C.diff, Testing-MRSA, Treatments, addresses the market opportunities for controlling infections in the health facility and focuses on resistant health infections such as CRE.
