PDI Healthcare to Present at 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association for Vascular Access

PDI, a leader in infection prevention products and solutions, announces it will host educational sessions focused on infection prevention and control in vascular access at the 2015 annual meeting of the Association for Vascular Access at the Gaylord Texan in Dallas, Texas Sept. 25-29, 2015. Additionally, PDI's Prevantics® line will be the subject of poster presentations highlighting positive impacts and outcomes from healthcare facilities.

"AVA provides the ideal venue for the knowledge sharing and hands-on clinical sessions that are crucial to skill enhancement and, ultimately, improved patient outcomes," says Dr. Hudson Garrett, vice president of clinical affairs at PDI and chairperson of AVA's Emerging Infectious Diseases in Vascular Access taskforce. "We value our longtime partnership with AVA, and our continued collaboration is part of PDI's commitment to educating healthcare professionals on best practices in vascular access."

The PDI exhibitor booth 314 will feature the full line of Prevantics® products, a complete vascular infection prevention solution containing a 3.15 percent Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) and 70 percent Isopropyl Alcohol formulation. The latest addition to the product line, Prevantics® Device Swab, is the first and only 3.15 percent CHG and 70 percent IPA solution to receive 510k clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for use in disinfecting needleless access sites prior to use.

Each year, AVA hosts more than 50 education sessions focused on scientific research and clinical best practices in vascular access. PDI's Dr. Hudson Garrett will serve as moderator for the opening day workshop on pediatric vascular access, and also serves as the president for the Vascular Access Certification Corporation. Both novice and experienced clinicians who work with neonatal and pediatric populations will benefit from a day of simulated and hands-on learning. Additionally, PDI donated products from their Sani-Cloth®, Sani-Hands® and Prevantics® lines for nurses' use throughout the day.

Garrett will also serve as lead presenter alongside fellow vascular access professionals in four additional sessions:

• A Journey towards Clinical Excellence in Reducing CLABSIs and Creating Best Practices in Vascular Access with Sara Owens, BSN, RN, CPN, VA-BC on Sunday, September 27, from 3:45 to 4:45 p.m. at Austin 1-3. The use of the TeamSTEPPS methodology will be incorporated into the session as a culture-change tool designed to encourage reliability for clinical practices to prevent CLABSI.

• Top Ten Things You Can Do to Prevent Infections in Pediatric Vascular Access: A Prophylactic Approach with Elizabeth Sharpe, DNP, ARNP, NNP-BC, VA-BC on Monday, September 28, from 3:40 to 4:40 p.m. at Grapevine 1-2. The program will review mechanisms for safer system design to reduce HAI's by improving patient engagement, collaboration and communication between providers.

• Vascular Access 101 for Industry Professionals Certificate Program with Elizabeth Sharpe, DNP, ARNP, NNP-BC, VA-BC and Lois Davis, MSN, RN, VA-BC on Tuesday, September 29, from 9:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Ft. Worth 4. The course is open to all industry professionals, including attendees with both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds.

• Minimizing CLABSI by Implementing a "Just Culture" Approach with Mark Rowe, MNSc, RNP, VA-BC on Tuesday, September 29, from 10:45 to 11:15 a.m. at Grapevine 3-4. This bottom-up/top-down approach will enable clinicians to practice safely, efficiently and to the fullest extent of their expertise, while improving the overall patient experience.

This year, the AVA Annual Scientific Meeting will debut its first ever ePosterboard displays, which allow users to display their presentations electronically on HD plasma screens. PDI will provide support for the 2015 ePosterboard abstract displays and the online poster gallery.

Peer-reviewed poster presentations featuring PDI's Prevantics® line include:
• Collaborative Journey Towards Zero Catheter-Associated Bloodstream Infections at Methodist Hospital, California
• Adhering to Timely Best Practice Protocols Decrease Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections at University of Chicago School of Medicine and Biological Sciences
• Novel Approach to Disinfection of Needleless Access Sites Prior-to-Use

Source: PDI Healthcare