POWELL, Ohio--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Global Enteral Device Supplier Association (GEDSA) announced that its member manufacturers ended production of legacy feeding tubes and cross-application connectors as scheduled on July 1 to support the transition to safer ENFit® enteral feeding devices. On January 1, 2022, GEDSA members will end production of transition sets and adaptors sold separately from other devices. (Click here for conversion schedule).
“Unlike legacy devices, ENFit connectors do not allow connectivity with devices for other clinical uses, which protects patients from the risk of misconnections that can cause injury or even death,” said GEDSA Executive Director Mike Cusack. “ENFit was created by groups of experts around the world that came together to develop new ISO standards for connectors that better protect patients.”
Individual GEDSA members will continue to supply legacy devices until their supplies run out. GEDSA recommends that all U.S. hospitals plan to convert to ENFit by the end of the year.
The transition to safer enteral connections is supported by recommendations from the FDA, The Joint Commission, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services as well as clinical and professional groups like the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ASPEN) and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP).
ENFit is widely used in the European Union, Australia and New Zealand with no reported adverse events, even with the demands of the COVID-19 pandemic. China and Brazil are adopting the safer connectors this year and Japan plans to adopt ENFit in 2022. While 80% of the top 25 hospitals in the United States are using or currently converting to ENFit, but more need to adopt the connectors to improve patient safety.
Get the Facts About ENFit
While ENFit enteral feeding connectors are widely used around the world to improve patient safety, inaccurate information in the marketplace has slowed adoption in the United States. To set the record straight, the Global Enteral Device Supplier Association (GEDSA) has published Myths vs. Facts: Dispelling 6 Myths About ENFit Enteral Feeding Connectors.
Additional Resources
The Joint Commission: Phase out dates coming up for ISO standard on legacy feeding devices, adaptors
Statement by the ISMP/ECRI Institute
FDA Statement: The FDA Encourages Use of Enteral Device Connectors That Reduce Risk of Misconnection and Patient Injury
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Luer Misconnection Adverse Events
Statement by prominent GEDSA member, Cardinal Health
About GEDSA
The Global Enteral Device Supplier Association (GEDSA) is a nonprofit trade association formed to establish a voice for addressing issues that face enteral device manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors, and to help introduce international standards for healthcare tubing connectors. For More Information, Visit StayConnected.org.
