P3 Medical – a UK distributor for several international medical device manufacturers – is set to showcase a device designed to tighten infection control in airway management at Arab Health 2022.
The NeVap Aspire Subglottic Suction Endotracheal tube (ASSET) is the only FDA cleared multiport suction breathing tube and has been developed by clinicians to make mechanical ventilation safer by preventing the risks of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP).
VAP is a well-studied infection problem caused by infectious material leaking along the breathing tube and entering the lungs. It increases a patient’s hospital stay, antibiotic needs, ventilation time, mortality, and adds tens of thousands of dollars in additional treatment costs.
The Aspire provides an innovative intervention to this challenge. The device has been designed to remove pathogenic subglottic fluid before it can cause infections. It is the first and only multi-port subglottic suction ET tube with a tissue spacer and 24 ports capable of removing pathogenic secretions and fluids without becoming blocked by airway tissue, the key problem with single-port devices. When compared to other single-port suction ET tubes, the Aspire was shown to be significantly better at removing fluid for all suction settings. The Aspire’s multi-port design allows for subglottic drainage in a wide range of patient positions, while the tissue spacer prevents tissue injury and suction blockage.
Dr Benjamin Wang said: “Ventilator-associate pneumonia is the most costly infection in modern hospitals. Added to this, the rates of antibiotic-resistant infections are expected to increase in the coming years, which will make treating these complications more difficult and costly. Now is an opportune time to see how a proven innovation in airway management and infection control can help augment patient safety and cost reduction in all clinical settings. The COVID-19 pandemic has additionally meant that innovations in airway management are desperately needed. We are delighted to be joining the ABHI UK Pavilion to showcase how the Aspire can help tighten infection control, reduce costs, and enhance safety for patients across the globe.”
During the pandemic, mechanical ventilation has played an essential part of the world’s answer to the SARS-CoV-2 crisis. It is known conclusively that 45-50% of SARS-CoV-2 patients requiring invasive mechanical ventilation contracted ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), a deadly and common hospital-acquired infection.
It is recognised that subglottic drainage can reduce the incidence of VAP, as well as ICU and/or hospital length of stay and the duration of mechanical ventilation.
By removing the risk of tissue injury and suction blockage, the Aspire ET tube can accommodate a range of different suction pressures that can be administered in hospital and emergent intubation settings in a wide range of patients.
Arab Health 2022 is taking place from 24–27 January 2022 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. Throughout the show, P3 Medical will be located on the UK Pavilion – Hall 2 G59.