HEALTHPOINT’s Spray Delivery System Recognized as a New Medical Technology by Novation

The spray delivery systems Accuzyme® Spray (Papain, Urea) and Panafil® Spray (Papain, Urea, Chlorophyllin Copper Complex Sodium) from HEALTHPOINT® (Fort Worth, Tex) have been recognized as new medical technologies by the Novation Wound Care Management Council (Irving, Tex).
Novation is the supply company of VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC). Novation is committed to ensuring that VHA and UHC members have access to information about new and potentially innovative healthcare technology.
The Accuzyme Spray and Panafil Spray delivery systems give healthcare providers a dosage form that can be sprayed onto wounds without the use of applicators commonly used with comparable ointments. The spray delivery form avoids running or dripping and facilitates application onto the wound bed.
Upon application, a small percentage of patients may occasionally experience a slight stinging sensation when using Accuzyme Spray or Panafil Spray.
Visit http://www.healthpoint.com for more information.

Patients with Skin Infections Caused by MRSA Cured More Often with Zyvox®

The antibiotic Zyvox® (linezolid injection, tablets, and for oral suspension) from Pfizer (New York, NY) is more effective than vancomycin for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to the largest MRSA cSSTIs study to date published in Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Of the total study population, including those treated for methicillin-susceptible infections, the number of patients cured with Zyvox was comparable to those cured with vancomycin. In addition, patients taking Zyvox spent up to 5 fewer days on intravenous (IV) treatment because of its availability as a pill. While Zyvox is available in interchangeable IV and oral formulations, it is the only oral medicine approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for MRSA infections.
This study involved 1,180 patients with cSSTIs, 361 of whom had confirmed MRSA infections. Patients in the microbiologically evaluable MRSA subgroup treated with Zyvox had better microbiologic cure rates: 88.6% for Zyvox patients versus 66.9% for vancomycin patients.
“In this study, Zyvox was shown to be better than traditional vancomycin therapy in improving outcomes for patients with serious MRSA infections,” said Dr. John Weigelt, lead investigator of the study and professor and vice chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin. “These data also reinforce the value of having a pill for patients, which may allow patients to leave the hospital sooner on oral therapy.”
Because of the oral availability of Zyvox, patients in the Zyvox arm had up to 5 fewer days on IV therapy than patients treated with vancomycin. More than half of study participants (52%) treated with Zyvox began treatment on the oral formulation. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends removing catheters and using an IV only when essential, since these and other invasive devices are frequent causes of hospital-acquired infections.
Skin and soft tissue infection is a common cause of morbidity in the community and hospital. Those at risk for cSSTIs include surgical patients, patients with diabetes, and those who are immunocompromised, such as patients with cancer. Resistant bacteria, such as MRSA, increasingly cause these infections. According to a previous study, the rate of MRSA among cSSTI isolates is approximately 3%.