Catheter Connections Fails Disinfection Test on Second Common Bacteria, Announces Ivera Medical


SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 24, 2014) - Ivera Medical announced that an independent lab has found that the dark blue IV-Pole Strips and DualCap products for male luer connectors made by Catheter Connections failed to disinfect all critical surfaces of male luer connectors when used as directed on a second organism, Pseudomonas aeruginosa. An independent lab previously found that these same products failed to disinfect against S. aureus, a gram-positive bug, on half of the tests. In this more recent test using P. aeruginosa, a gram-negative bacterium, Catheter Connections' products failed to reach a 4-log reduction disinfection level on one-third of the samples tested. The study report and related information for all of these tests can be found at www.curos.com.

"It is unclear which factors, or combination of factors, are causing this product performance failure from Catheter Connections, this time on a gram-negative bug that is thought to account for approximately 10% of hospital-acquired infections," said Bob Rogers, CEO of Ivera Medical. "In Ivera's experience, Pseudomonas is easier to kill than S. aureus, so it is interesting to see their continued failures. We believe that the product design of the Catheter Connections product, which intentionally prevents alcohol from reaching the opening of the male luer, is one obvious potential source, but the small volume of alcohol they use and the unknown quality of certain parts we understand are made in China might also be playing a role."

In the same test, the Curos Tips product reached a 4-log reduction on all 12 samples tested just as it has done on prior tests using S. aureus. "Our product was designed to ensure the disinfecting agent is applied to the entire end of the male luer, especially the most distal parts that are most likely to be contaminated. These tests, which can be duplicated by anyone, provide further evidence that the Curos Tips performs as it was designed to perform, and casts a further cloud on whether the Catheter Connections product can be relied on to disinfect a male luer," said Mr. Rogers.

About Ivera Medical
Ivera Medical Corporation, a certified Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), is focused on the design, development, manufacture, marketing and sale of products that help healthcare providers reduce facility-acquired patient infections. Curos, manufactured in Carlsbad, CA, is the first disinfecting cap to be marketed in the U.S. and has received FDA's 510(k) market clearance. For more information about Curos and Ivera Medical, visit the website at www.curos.com