The University Hospital Zurich (USZ) has recently initiated an independent, cutting-edge clinical study to assess the efficiency of Steriwave®, the antimicrobial photodynamic therapy by the Canadian company, Ondine Biomedical Inc. This is yet another significant milestone in Ondine’s mission to offer innovative solutions for infection prevention and limit the growing global concern of antimicrobial resistance.
Deployed for the first time in Switzerland, Steriwave’s technology aims to combat surgical site infections (SSI) through nasal decolonization. The research titled, ‘Preoperative Microbial Reduction of the Nasal Cavity with Antimicrobial Photodynamic Therapy (aPDT)’, is supervised by esteemed Professor Dr. Harald Essig, Head of the Department of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial and Oral Surgery at the USZ.
The study aims to evaluate Steriwave’s potency in swiftly reducing the preoperative nasal microbial burden, a crucial determinant in the rates of SSI and extended hospital stay durations. In high-risk procedures of Cranio-Maxillo-Facial and Oral Surgery, the reduction of post-surgical infections continues to be of prime importance. With Steriwave’s unique, quick-effecting approach to nasal decolonization, there lies a potential significant breakthrough in infection prevention.
Steriwave’s antimicrobial photodynamic therapy, a light-activated antimicrobial with rapid efficacy, is designed innovatively to eradicate a wide variety of pathogens including antibiotic-resistant strains. As compared to traditional methods, which rely heavily on repeated doses of topical antibiotics and consumption of several days to depict effects, Steriwave’s effectiveness is instant, requiring only a single five-minute treatment. Steriwave is, therefore, an ideal candidate for preoperative nasal decolonization.
Besides the USZ study, Steriwave’s credibility has been validated by extensive clinical usage in Canada and the UK, accentuating its role in enhancing patient safety and tackling antimicrobial resistance.
In collaboration with USZ, a medical institution with a long history of research dedication in aPDT, their joint venture further solidifies Steriwave’s fortitude in rapidly and safely reducing pathogens associated with hospital-acquired infections (HAI).