Triclosan-Coated Sutures Now Recommended By World Health Organization

SOMERVILLE, N.J., Nov. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ethicon*, a trusted leader in suture technology,  announced today that triclosan-coated sutures received a recommendation in the new "Global Guidelines for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections (SSI)", the first-ever Global guidelines on SSIs  released by the World Health Organization (WHO). Categorized as a conditional recommendation, the use of triclosan coated sutures is now supported by the WHO based on moderate-quality of evidence.** According to the new WHO Guidelines, "the panel suggests the use of triclosan-coated sutures for the purpose of reducing the risk of surgical site infection (SSI), independent of the type of surgery."

Suture selection provides an important opportunity to address a key risk factor for infection – bacterial colonization of the suture. Ethicon Plus Sutures are the only globally available sutures coated with triclosan that inhibit colonization of the suture by bacteria commonly associated with SSIs, including S. aureus, S. epidermidis, MRSA, MRSE, E. coli⁺, and K. pneumonia⁺.[i]^,[ii],[iii] To that end, Ethicon offers a comprehensive range of antibacterial sutures,  including Coated VICRYL® Plus Antibacterial (polyglactin 910); MONOCRYL® Plus Antibacterial (poliglecaprone 25); PDS® Plus Antibacterial (polydioxanone); STRATAFIX™ Spiral PDS Plus Knotless Tissue Control Device; STRATAFIX™ Spiral Monocryl Plus Knotless Tissue Control Device; and STRATAFIX™ Symmetric PDS™ Plus Knotless Tissue Control Device.

"Several independent studies have found that triclosan-coated sutures reduce the risk of SSI across many types of surgery," said Professor David Leaper, Emeritus Professor of Surgery University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Professor of Clinical Sciences University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. "Taken together with other evidence-based interventions, Ethicon Plus Sutures may help reduce hospital costs associated with infections, including longer length of stay or readmission."

Ethicon first innovated the triclosan coated suture with the introduction of Coated VICRYL® Plus Antibacterial (polyglactin 910) suture in 2003. SSIs are among the most common healthcare-associated infections (HAI) worldwide; they increase morbidity and mortality in surgical patients and represent an economic burden to healthcare systems.[iv] In fact, SSIs are the leading infection in the general patient population in countries with limited resources, affecting up to two thirds of operated patients and with a frequency up to nine times higher than in developed countries. [v]

"Ethicon has more than 60 years of experience in surgical sutures, and the new guidelines from WHO supports our Ethicon Plus Sutures portfolio and further reinforces our decade-long commitment to helping surgeons and their institutions address the overwhelming burden of healthcare associated infections," said Liza Ovington, Franchise Medical Director for Ethicon. "Ethicon is committed to shaping the future of surgery by helping address the world's most pressing health care issues to improve and save more lives."

Ethicon Plus Sutures have been shown in vitro to inhibit bacterial colonization of the suture for seven days or more.ⁱⁱⁱ By inhibiting bacterial colonization of the suture by pathogens commonly associated with SSIs, a key risk factor for infection is addressed. Numerous peer reviewed, randomized controlled trials, as well as prospectively planned meta-analyses of these trials, contribute to the growing body of evidence that antibacterial sutures are an important tool in the fight against surgical site infections.

About Ethicon
From creating the first sutures, to revolutionizing surgery with minimally invasive procedures, Ethicon has made significant contributions to surgery for more than 60 years. Our continuing dedication to Shape the Future of Surgery is built on our commitment to help address the world's most pressing health care issues, and improve and save more lives. Through Ethicon's surgical technologies and solutions including sutures, staplers, energy devices, trocars and hemostats and our commitment to treat serious medical conditions like obesity and cancer worldwide, we deliver innovation to make a life-changing impact. Learn more at www.ethicon.com, and follow us on Twitter @Ethicon.

*Ethicon represents the products and services of Ethicon, Inc., Ethicon Endo-Surgery, LLC and certain of their affiliates. Ethicon, Inc. is the legal manufacturer of Plus Antibacterial Sutures.

**Each WHO recommendation falls into one of two categories:  Strong (the panel was confident that the benefits of the intervention outweighed the risks/ or Conditional (the panel considered that the benefits of the intervention probably outweighed the risks. Each recommendation also falls into one of four categories of supporting evidence quality, as described by the WHO: High quality of evidence (we are very confident that the true effect lies close to that of the estimate of the effect), moderate quality of evidence (we are moderately confident in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be close to the estimate of the effect, but there is a possibility that it is substantially different), low quality of evidence (our confidence in the effect estimate is limited: the true effect may be substantially different from the estimate of the effect), and very low quality of evidence (we have very little confidence in the effect estimate: the true effect is likely to be substantially different from the estimate of the effect).

⁺PDS Plus Suture and MONOCRYL Plus Suture only

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[i] Ming X, Rothenburger S, Nichols MM. In vivo and invitro antibacterial efficacy of PDS Plus (polidioxanone with triclosan) suture. Surg Infect. 2008;9(4):451-457.

[ii] Ming X, Rothenburger S, Yang D. In vitro antibacterial efficacy of Monocryl Plus Antibacterial Suture (poligelcaprone 25 with triclosan). Surg Infect. 2007;8(2):201-207.

[iii] Rothenburger S, Spangler D, Bhende S, Burkley D. In vitro antimicrobial evaluation of coated Vicryl Plus Antibacterial Suture (coated polyglactin 910 with triclosan) using zone of inhibition assays. Surg Infect. 2002;3(suppl):79-87.

[iv] Wang ZX, Jiang CP, Cao Y, Ding YT. Systematic review and meta-analysis of triclosan-coated sutures for the prevention of surgical-site infection. Br J Surg. 2013;100(4):465-473.

[v] Fact Sheet: Health care-associated infections. Accessed September 22, 2016: http://www.who.int/gpsc/country_work/gpsc_ccisc_fact_sheet_en.pdf.

SOURCE Ethicon

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