Reducing the Spread of Infection
Infections place an enormous burden on the healthcare
system and are a major cause of morbidity and
mortality worldwide.
Comprehensive infection prevention and control
practices can help mitigate the impact of infections,
and include:
- Prevention: Certain infections are avoidable
through proper prevention practices and techniques.
Appropriate use of antibiotics, safety-engineered
injection devices and basic contact precautions can
help prevent transmission of infection as well as
associated human and financial costs.
- Detection and Diagnosis: Rapid, accurate
detection and/or diagnosis are critical to helping
improve patient management and outcomes, as well
as lowering healthcare costs.
- Reporting: Standardized reporting and tracking
of infections can help healthcare facilities and
governments gather necessary data to continue to
improve infection prevention practices.
BD’s Contributions
BD applies its core products and services — medical
devices, laboratory equipment and diagnostic
products — to play fundamental roles in infection
prevention and control.
Information about...
Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Injection Safety
Immunization
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Infectious Disease
Millions of the life-threatening, costly HAIs that occur
each year are preventable.
BD recognized the threat posed by HAIs early on and
made strategic investments to build an innovative
portfolio of technologies designed to prevent, detect,
diagnose and report these infections. BD’s family of
products includes:
- Molecular diagnostic tests for rapid and accurate
detection of common HAIs, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and C. difficile.
- Automated infection surveillance systems to
help healthcare facilities set priorities and track
effectiveness of HAI prevention programs.
- Innovative IV catheter systems and associated
products designed to minimize the risk of catheter-related bloodstream infections.
- Blood culturing and bacterial identification/
antibiotic susceptibility testing systems for detection of common antimicrobial resistant HAI-causing pathogens to actionable results.
Through collaborations with healthcare institutions,
quality organizations, professional societies and government agencies, BD continues to build awareness and educate about the benefits of new technologies
to help diagnose and prevent HAIs. The Company’s approach to preventing HAIs is well aligned with the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Action Plan to Prevent Healthcare-Associated Infections.
Needlesticks and unsafe injection practices
needlessly expose patients and healthcare workers
to bloodborne pathogens such as HIV/AIDS and
hepatitis B and C.
BD pioneered the development of safety-engineered
medical devices and has been at the forefront of this
field for more than two decades. No other company
has invested more capital, human resources or
technological know-how in reducing needlestick and
other sharps injuries.
BD shares best practices for improving healthcare
worker safety with providers across the country,
by educating healthcare workers on basic safety
issues. These include how to minimize exposure to
bloodborne pathogens, and providing on-site training
on correct product use.
Vaccinating children and adults helps keep them
healthy and prevents the spread of infection.
BD is a leading manufacturer of injection products,
with a rich history of supporting worldwide
immunization efforts by offering a broad array of safe
immunization solutions and services to help further
disease prevention. In 1954, BD produced the first
completely disposable syringe for use in a large-scale
field test of the polio vaccine. More recently, BD
supported the American Red Cross’ Measles Initiative,
which has been recognized as one of the world’s most
successful public health partnerships.
Today, BD flow cytometry systems and reagents help
scientists understand the intricacies of human immune function. The human immune system’s response
to infectious agents is key to understanding the
mechanisms of infection, which is of intense interest
to clinical researchers striving to develop new vaccines
and immunization strategies.
Public Health Emergency Preparedness
Proper infection control practices can help save lives
and mitigate the economic impact of public health
crises such as pandemic influenza.
The U.S. government has engaged with BD on pandemic
influenza planning since 2005, and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA)
selected BD as the primary provider for syringes used in the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign.
BD shipped more than 140 million safety-engineered
products to the government during the 2009 flu
season. To carry out these efforts, BD ramped up
production of flu-related products and added capacity
at three U.S. manufacturing sites.
Diseases such as HIV/AIDS and TB claim millions of lives each year worldwide.
BD has made its most powerful impact on TB through
the introduction of its liquid culture diagnostics,
which are particularly valuable in their ability to detect
drug-resistant forms of bacteria. The World Health
Organization (WHO) has endorsed liquid cultures as
the “standard of care” for TB diagnosis and patient
management.
To help individuals living with HIV/AIDS, BD has
developed and launched two systems now recognized
as “gold standards” for CD4 testing. BD partners with
organizations such as the William J. Clinton Foundation
to help make these CD4 technologies available in the
developing world on a highly discounted basis.
The lack of healthcare infrastructure — which includes
hospitals, clinics and well-trained healthcare workers
— is one of the biggest barriers to fighting the spread
of infectious disease in developing countries. BD
regularly engages with organizations to support safer
blood collection, develop training capabilities for lab
personnel, and extend the reach of immunization
efforts around the world.
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