New NICE Medical Technologies Guidance announced for the use of Leukomed® Sorbact® in caesarean section and vascular surgery.

New medical technologies guidance from the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends that Leukomed Sorbact should be considered as an option for preventing surgical site infection (SSI) in closed surgical wounds with low to moderate exudate after caesarean section and vascular surgery.

5 clinical studies, including 3 randomised trials, were reviewed as part of the NICE guidance assessment process, which concluded that the evidence suggests that Leukomed Sorbact:

• reduces SSI in caesarean section and vascular surgery.
• may reduce antibiotic use.
• may reduce readmissions from wound complications.
• is cost-saving for caesarean section and vascular surgery

Leukomed Sorbact is an interactive dressing that binds to the microbes that cause surgical site infection so they are removed when the dressing is changed.

Evidence suggests that using Leukomed Sorbact instead of standard dressings after caesarean section and vascular surgery reduces the rate of surgical site infection and leads to cost savings.

The NICE report recommends that Leukomed Sorbact “should be considered as an option for people with wounds that are expected to have low to moderate exudate after caesarean section and vascular surgery. It should be used as part of usual measures to help reduce the risk of surgical site infection”.

After reviewing cost modelling, the NICE report concluded that adopting Leukomed Sorbact could save the NHS up to £6.5 million per year (up to £5.3 million per year for caesarean section and up to £1.2 million per year for vascular surgery). Cost savings are anticipated as Leukomed Sorbact is expected to reduce re-admissions and shorten the length of stay in hospital. For more details see the NICE resource impact report*.

Leukomed Sorbact is a sterile, single-use, bacteria-binding, adhesive-bordered wound dressing. It is used to prevent surgical site infection (SSI) in closed surgical wounds that have low to moderate exudate.

The dressing comprises an absorbent non-woven wound contact pad and an outer transparent adhesive polyurethane film. The pad is made of a white viscose polypropylene and polyester mesh that is coated with the proprietary compound dialkylcarbamoyl chloride (DACC).

The innovative aspect is the DACC component. This binds and inactivates bacteria through hydrophobic interaction, which helps to reduce colonisation of the wound by potentially harmful microbes.

To find out more about Leukomed Sorbact click here

NICE has published an interactive flowchart summarising guidance on HCAIs including SSI. To see the pathway and NICE recommendations on the use of Leukomed Sorbact, please visit the NICE website here: Preventing and treating surgical site infections - NICE Pathways

*^© NICE 2021 Leukomed Sorbact for preventing surgical site infection.
Available from www.nice.org.uk/guidance/mtg55. All rights reserved. Subject to Notice of rights.
NICE guidance is prepared for the National Health Service in England. All NICE guidance is subject to regular review and may be updated or withdrawn. NICE accepts no responsibility for the use of its content in this product/publication.