CHEVY CHASE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Marshall Medical Center, a nonprofit, independent health provider in El Dorado County, California, has adopted Nozin® Nasal Sanitizer® antiseptic to reduce the risk of infection while improving quality of care, increasing patient satisfaction and eliminating a major category of costly contact precautions. According to the Centers for Disease Control, Hospital acquired infections (HAIs), including the infections caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), are costing hospitals more than $30 billion per year. New federal health care rules are also reducing reimbursements to hospitals for HAI treatment. Marshall, like other healthcare facilities, has turned to nonantibiotic Nozin® Nasal Sanitizer® to reduce infection risks, improve care and lower costs while supporting antibiotic stewardship.
A study published in the American Journal of Infection Control showed Nozin Nasal Sanitizer® to be effective at reducing Staphylococcus aureus nasal bacteria colonization without antibiotics. Nina Deatherage, RN, BSN and Infection Control Lead at Marshall, explains the reason for adopting Nozin, “The use of the Nozin product with our MRSA colonized patients enables us to actively reduce the bacterial carriage of those who might be contributing to transmission and to lessen the environmental burden of potential pathogens.”
Contact precautions, especially for MRSA colonization, contribute significantly to infection control cost. This expense can include 60 to 70 gowns and gloves per day/per isolated patient. The reduction of contact precautions not only saves money but can significantly improve quality of care, responsiveness and overall patient satisfaction. “Our nurses like the program because, without having to gown and glove each time that they enter a room, they can provide more responsive care, ” says Brian Kendler, RN, Infection Preventionist on the Marshall infection control team. “Our patients seem to really like the Nozin product as evidenced by both use compliance and the increased satisfaction verbalized since implementation. It’s been a true win-win.” Deatherage also notes, “When we looked at the numbers and the cost savings, including medical waste disposal, we estimated that we will have saved $73,000 in direct costs within a year of implementing the program using Nozin. “
Another major concern in infection control is the buildup of antibiotic resistance in pathogens due to the overuse of antibiotic drugs. Kendler states, “As an antiseptic and not an antibiotic, the Nozin product conforms to the goal of our antibiotic stewardship directives. The Nozin nonantibiotic approach to reducing nasal colonization makes a lot of sense to me.”
After learning of Nozin at an Infection Control trade show, Deatherage researched the clinical data, including the study published in the American Journal of Infection Control (August 2014) which demonstrated a 98.8% median reduction in nasal carriage of Staphylococcus aureus in a daily treatment protocol with the Nozin Nasal Sanitizer product. Nozin® Nasal Sanitizer® antiseptic is non-prescription and contains ethanol as the active ingredient combined with natural emollients. It is applied with a swab to the vestibule of the nose and is used for nasal bacteria carriage reduction.
John Willimann, president of Global Life Technologies Corp. which makes Nozin products, said that healthcare facilities like Marshall see a compelling case: “Nozin Nasal Sanitizer presents a new option that can help to safely reduce nasal carriage without antibiotics and with significantly lower costs in infection control procedures.” More information can be found at Nozin.com.
Marshall Medical Center includes Marshall Hospital, a fully accredited acute care facility with 113 beds located in Placerville and several outpatient facilities in Cameron Park, El Dorado Hills, Placerville and Georgetown. Marshall has over 190 affiliated board-certified physicians and a team of over 1,500 employees providing quality healthcare services to more than 180,000 residents of El Dorado County. Marshall Medical Center website is www.marshallmedical.org.
