Renowned Canadian life sciences company, Ondine Biomedical, has recently showcased empirical evidence supporting Steriwave, their innovative light-activated antimicrobial treatment, as a potentially transformative replacement for the antibiotic Mupirocin. This turning point in infection prevention materialized through the findings of an independent study conducted at the globally recognized Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute. Furthermore, they affirm that Steriwave’s implemention led to a 32% reduction in cardiac surgical site infections (SSIs), an achievement that has been greeted with much acclaim in the field of infection prevention and control. This pivotal research was unveiled at the AMMI Canada-CACMID annual conference – a significant gathering of experts in clinical microbiology and infectious diseases. Steriwave was adopted as a pilot preventive treatment in June 2023 to substitute Mupirocin, an antibiotic considerably used for SSI prevention.
However, this conventional antibiotic’s growing resistance rates, now scaling as high as 81%, along with issues of compliance, fostered the drive for a new standard of care. Nosing ahead post Steriwave’s implementation, considerable cost savings were noted due to the drop in the average SSI rate from 1.67 to 0.7 per 100 surgeries, reflecting a financial boon of approximately $56,000 during the quarter. Additionally, Dr. Stephanie Smith, esteemed Director of Hospital Infection Prevention and Control at the University of Alberta Hospital and the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, conveyed her satisfaction with the pilot’s results. Dr. Smith commended Steriwave’s performance, particularly in the light of ongoing concerns over Mupirocin’s resistance issues and subsequent decrease in its utilization.
Cardiac SSIs are a looming complication, with up to 27% of cardiac surgeries being implicated, and result in exorbitant care costs due to prolonged patient recovery times and complex treatment plans. Steriwave has illustrated its potential as an effective preventive measure against SSIs, particularly against the S. aureus pathogen, by destroying these harmful agents in the nose – a known breeding ground for bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Unlike traditional antibiotics, Steriwave obliterates these pathogens instantaneously with a single five-minute treatment and, crucially, doesn’t contribute to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
Widening the applications of Steriwave were further spurred by the patient-friendly treatment interface – a stark contrast to the self-administered Mupirocin regimen that reported a below-par compliance rate of less than 40%. Steriwave’s decolonization approach has gained international approvals and favorable opinions from infectious disease bodies, solidifying its utility in preventive strategies in a global context.