Verathon®, maker of BladderScan® bladder volume instruments is pleased to announce that portable bladder volume
ultrasound is now included in the new 2009 CDC guidelines for the Prevention of
Catheter-Associated
Urinary Tract Infections (CA-UTIs). The new CDC guidelines, introduced in early November 2009, replace the previous guidelines which date back to 1981. The guidelines are located on the Web at:
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/dpac_uti_pc.html
The issuance of the new CDC Guidelines in November follow the news from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) posted in October 1, 2008, that announced Medicare would no longer reimburse for treatment of preventable nosocomial CA-UTIs. That important regulatory change has meant that hospitals now may face significant cost increases based on reduced reimbursements for CA-UTIs contracted during a hospital stay.
"Over the past several years, many acute care and long term care facilities have found BladderScan® bladder volume ultrasound helpful in reducing the number of catheterizations and related urinary tract infections," stated Gerald McMorrow, CEO and Founder of Verathon Inc. "With bladder ultrasound now included in the new guidelines, many other health care providers will be able to include this valuable tool in their catheter bundles," continued McMorrow.
BladderScan® 3D ultrasound bladder volume instruments provide quick, accurate and reliable bladder volume measurements. The measurements are noninvasive, and the devices are portable and easy for staff to use.
The new CDC guidelines include the following information for portable ultrasound: