Breathing Filters – An essential tool in Sepsis Prevention and Management

Overview

• Post By : Dhritimay Dhar- Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Medical Business, Draeger India


• Source: Draeger India


• Date: 13 Sep,2024

Sepsis is an overly amplified response of the body to an infection that leads to inflammation and potential organ, posing risk to the life of affected individuals. Often referred as the ‘killer disease’, sepsis is a concern for public health in every part of the world accounting for the loss of millions of lives each year. The situation in India is specifically dire. With a large and heterogeneous population and a dynamic healthcare landscape, the ever-increasing incidence of sepsis poses serious challenge that necessitates novel and swift interventions.

The Sepsis Challenge in India

India accounts for disproportionate cases of sepsis and there are several key factors contributing to this growing crisis. In the modern world, the treatment and prevention of infections have led to the over-prescription and misuse of antibiotics resulting in many bacterial strains becoming resistant to these drugs. The once- manageable diseases are now more challenging resulting in a spike of the sepsis cases. Early and timely identification of Sepsis is often elusive as their symptoms are analogous to other comparatively simpler diseases. The limited awareness and adoption of diagnostic tools, also contribute to the surge of sepsis. Further, the country’s huge and diverse healthcare system with varying level of resources and areas of specialization, pose major challenges in treating and managing sepsis effectively.

Breaking the chain of infections with robust infection prevention and control (IPC) practices are crucial in the management of sepsis. In some cases, it is important that hospitals and providers of health care defend the chain of infection transmission using strong IPC measures, especially within the critical care areas where the incidence of sepsis is highest.

The Role of HME Filters in Sepsis Prevention: Innovation and Safety

A heat and moisture exchanger (HME) filter and breathing system filters are among the key tools in sepsis intervention measures particularly in operating rooms, intensive care units, and other critical care settings where sepsis are of great concern.

As a global leader in medical technology, Draeger provides high-quality solutions that meet the highest standards of safety and performance.

Our comprehensive range of meticulously engineered filters meet the highest safety and provide several key advantages:

1. Reduction of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia (VAP): VAP is a most prevalent and potentially critical hospital-acquired infection, that puts the patient at risk of sepsis. Draeger’s HME filters maintain an optimal airway condition that help prevent bacterial colonization, thereby lowering the incidence of VAP which is one of the most frequent and fatal hospital acquired infection.
2. Enhanced Patient Outcomes: With the use of HME filters, there is a decrease in the number of infections occasioned on patients, leading to improved outcomes such as a shorter length of stay in hospitals, reduced deaths, and a better healthcare experience for patients. In a country like India where healthcare resources are often stretched, these improvements are very crucial and invaluable.
3. Cost-Effectiveness: The problem of sepsis poses significant costs pressures, impacting healthcare systems and patients alike. By adopting simple yet effective preventive measures such as using the HME filters, hospitals can achieve significant cost savings by avoiding extended ICU care and long hospital stays due to complications as well as expensive drug-resistant infections.

Our HME filters range are designed to offer several key benefits such as:

1. Optimal Humidification: During mechanical ventilation, the breathing gas used is much colder (~15°C) and dryer than the ambient atmosphere. Draeger’s HME filters maintain the right moisture balance in the airways, so that patient airways are protected minimizing the risk of infection.
2. Superior Filtration: Our HME filters have high bacterial and viral filtration efficiency rates that considerably reduce the passage of airborne microorganisms. This significantly helps to decrease the risk of possible cross-infection in ICUs and preventing the spread of multidrug-resistant organisms often the prime contributors to the sepsis problem in hospitals.
3. Patient Comfort: Our HME filters provide comfort to the patient during mechanical ventilation which is critical factor in accelerating the recovery process.

Collective Effort for a Safer Future

There is no single way to approaching the management of sepsis as various interventions need to be employed. Advanced medical devices such as Draeger’s HME filters are important, however, instilling the fundamental concepts of infection prevention and control is equally important. Any comprehensive sepsis prevention strategy should incorporate not just protocols or devices which are safe, but use of high-quality consumables serves as vital components while devising an effective infection prevention and control mechanism. Furthermore, by adopting evidence-based practices and leveraging innovative technologies, we can collaboratively reduce sepsis incidence and improve patient outcomes. Draeger is fully committed to enabling healthcare professionals, in the battle against sepsis and together make a meaningful impact to safeguard patients and create a healthier tomorrow.