3M Disinfecting Port Protector May Help Reduce Vascular Access Device Contamination Risk

Every vascular catheter used on a patient poses potential for a costly and prevalent central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). Passive disinfection caps for needleless connectors have been shown to reduce the risk of CLABSI. Disinfecting port protectors also eliminate human scrubbing technique variability. However, clinicians haven’t had a passive disinfection solution for stopcocks and hemodialysis catheters—until now. 3M is introducing the 3M Curos Stopper Disinfecting Cap for Open Female Luers to help clinicians ensure all intraluminal vascular access points can be protected through passive disinfection.
 
 “3M is committed to helping clinicians reduce infections. We have the science to deliver evidence-based solutions that help protect patient safety, reduce the risks of costly complications, improve patient outcomes and, in turn, reduce care delivery costs,” said Pat Parks, M.D., Ph.D., medical director in the 3M Critical and Chronic Care Solutions Division. “Adding Curos stopper caps to our innovative I.V. care portfolio brings us one step closer to helping clinicians protect every patient’s vascular catheter, from insertion to removal.”
 
The Curos stopper cap is the latest advancement in the 3M Curos Disinfecting Port Protector family, which includes passive disinfection solutions for needleless connectors, male luers and Tego hemodialysis connectors. Now, with the addition of this offering for open female luers, 3M Curos Disinfecting Port Protectors is the only brand that has a cap that covers each intraluminal I.V. access point, thus providing a full circle of disinfection and protection [see image]. Curos port protectors provide time-saving, consistent and reliable disinfection, while keeping ports protected from contamination when not in use.
 
Curos stopper caps can disinfect in one minute. They provide protection for up to seven days (if not removed). That’s the high standard to which all Curos disinfecting port protectors comply. They contain a 70 percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) reservoir to disinfect against a number of microorganisms commonly associated with CLABSI. The design fits a wide range of stopcocks and hemodialysis catheter hubs and offers a way to hold pressure while providing fast, passive disinfection to critical areas.
 
The bright red color of Curos stopper caps help clinicians verify that a port is clean at a glance and make disinfection compliance easy to measure. The Curos stopper caps also come in two formats—singles and strips—so they can be readily available at the bedside. The strips help facilitate staff compliance with port disinfection. The individual caps are excellent for home use, as well as for ancillary areas where I.V. poles are not commonly used. The Curos stopper caps are single-use only and indicated for use only on open female luers such as stopcocks and catheter hubs. The Curos stopper caps should not be used on needleless connectors.