Study: Higher Dwell Times for Midline Catheters Made of Advanced Biomaterials

Access Vascular Inc. (AVI) is sharing initial findings from a retrospective review of patient records that demonstrates an increase in dwell times compared to other commercially-available devices and no complications when using AVI’s consistently hydrophilic materials for midline catheters.
 
As a result of a three-month retrospective evaluation of 29 HydroMID midline catheters at a long-term, acute care U.S. hospital conducted early this year, AVI’s biomaterial-based catheters were found to have an average dwell time of 15.8 days. Further, there were no incidences of phlebitis, occlusion, deep vein thrombosis (DVT), or blood stream infections.
 
Traditional, polyurethane-based midline catheters have a median dwell time of only six¹ days and an incidence of phlebitis of up to 35%,² exhibit up to 7% rate of DVT,³ a 0.88% incidence of catheter-related bloodstream infection,⁴ and an average occlusion rate of 22%.⁵
 
“Midlines are an essential vascular access tool, but clinicians have been hampered for years by polyurethane-based catheters that must continually be replaced or that lead to unnecessary and frequent complications,” said Access Vascular CEO James Biggins. “This new data shows that choosing the right catheter can make all the difference, giving clinicians the trust and competence they desire from their vascular access devices. We are confident that new, ongoing studies will demonstrate even longer dwell times for AVI’s biomaterial-based catheters.”
 
AVI’s patented hydrophilic biomaterial catheters mimic the body’s chemistry to significantly reduce the most common and costly complications associated with vascular access procedures. Given the high utilization and complication rates of standard catheters, the use of AVI devices may meaningfully improve patient outcomes.
 
Access Vascular was founded to address the most common and costly complications of intravenous therapy: infection, thrombosis, and phlebitis. Taking a foundationally different approach to thrombus reduction, the company manufactures intravenous catheters from a hydrophilic material that retains significant amounts of water. Engineered to mimic the body’s natural chemistry, Access Vascular catheters are designed to evade the foreign body response and complications that come with it. Its FDA-cleared products are HydroPICC and HydroMID. 

References 
¹ Chopra V, Kaatz S, Swaminathan L, et al. Variation in use and outcomes related to midline catheters: results from a multicenter pilot study. BMJ Qual Saf. 2019;28(9):714-720. doi:10.1136/bmjqs-2018-008554
² Lee AY, Levine MN, Butler G, Webb C, Costantini L, Gu C, Julian JA. Incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of catheter-related thrombosis in adult patients with cancer. J Clin Oncol. 2006 Mar 20;24(9):1404-8. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2005.03.5600. PMID: 16549834.
³ Ponec D, Irwin D, Haire WD, Hill PA, Li X, McCluskey ER; COOL Investigators. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator occluded central venous access devices: a double blind placebo controlled trial—the Cardiovascular Thrombolytic to Open Interv Radiol. 2001 Aug;12(8):9515.
⁴ Hogle, N. (2020). Am J. of Inf Ctrl, 48 (9) 1108-1110.
⁵ Hawes ML. Assessing and Restoring Patency in Midline Catheters. J Infus Nurs. 2020 Jul/Aug;43(4):213-221. doi: 10.1097/NAN.0000000000000376. PMID: 32618955.