Focus on infection control in battle against new global t...

Focus on infection control in battle against new global threats

Mölnlycke Health Care is gold sponsor of EORNA's fourth congress for European operating room nurses and its scientific symposium will focus on the MRSA threat and how it can be controlled in the peri-operative environment.

"The EORNA Congress is an important forum for the exchange of experiences and research in the area of infection control. Operating room nurses are key professionals who can actively contribute to the reduction of hospital acquired infections and consequently their voice should be more clearly heard in all hospitals," says Dag Andersson, President Surgical Division, Mölnlycke Health Care. Mölnlycke Health Care was the first company in Europe to introduce single-use drapes and gowns for operating theatres in the mid 1960s. Since then, the company has initiated, promoted and actively participated in a series of advanced research projects within the field of surgical asepsis.

"Our experience is that infection control gets more attention now than 40 years ago among health care decision makers. However, the issue will need even more focus in the future. Today, new threats are coming up, such as MRSA, that have serious and obvious effects on patients, staff and healthcare resources," says Dag Andersson.

The Mölnlycke symposium will put the MRSA issue in a global perspective by analysing case studies from Europe and the USA. The aim is to identify how methods used to minimise MRSA-associated infections and outbreaks in different hospitals can be transferred from one region to another.

As one of the world's leading manufacturers and suppliers of single-use surgical solutions and wound care products, Mölnlycke Health care has played an important role in the development of infection control. After the recent merger with Regent Medical - provider of Biogel® powder-free gloves and Hibi antiseptics - and the wound care company Medlock Medical, Mölnlycke will now take an even greater lead in this field.

The strategy behind the merger is to utilise synergies in, for example, sales force, distribution and marketing. Consequently, an analysis of Mölnlycke's total brand portfolio and its visual representation has resulted in the adoption of a new, powerful corporate identity that will help communicate Mölnlycke in a clearer, more consistent and cost-efficient way.

Another initiative is a move to a single brand platform for the drapes and staff clothing business Since 2001, Mölnlycke has had two brands, BARRIER® and Klinidrape®, for surgical drapes, gowns and wearing apparel. Both product ranges fulfil the same purpose, i.e. to reduce the risk of post-operative wound infection and provide staff protection during surgery. The products will now be combined into a single brand platform, to provide the world's most flexible product range under the single brand name BARRIER®. Product concepts and designs will remain, but the, consistent new visual identity will simplify communication to customers, and encourage customers to evaluate a wider range of the solutions on offer

"The synergies and strengths in the new Mölnlycke will liberate resources for further research in the development of materials, products and processes in hospitals," says Dag Andersson. "This will benefit patients, hospital staff and health care budgets. Our aim is to increase cooperation with professionals and other key players in the health care sector, speeding up the development of infection control even more. It is our strong belief that operating room nurses have a vital role to play in this field."