Burnaby Hospital, a large community hospital in British Columbia, has initiated use of Ondine Biomedical’s (OBI:LON) Steriwave® nasal photodisinfection prior to orthopedic surgery to further reduce the incidence of post-surgical infections. Burnaby Hospital, which is affiliated with the University of British Columbia and an integral part of the Fraser Health Authority, has been focused on further reducing infections and optimizing patient outcomes following orthopedic surgery.

Post-surgical infections are a serious concern in the aftermath of any major surgical operation, including orthopedic surgeries. These infections are often correlated with adverse outcomes including prolonged hospital stays, escalated healthcare expenses, and elevated mortality rates. 

During 2023 there has been a significant rise in Canadian hospitals deploying Steriwave nasal photodisinfection to reduce the incidence of post-surgical infections, improve patient care, and reduce costs. The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) updated guidelines, published in May 2023, recommend nasal decolonization for major surgical procedures which has encouraged more hospitals to adopt it as a standard practice.[i]

There is a growing concern over using the antibiotic mupirocin for nasal decolonization, which has been the standard of care but has resistance rates reported as high as 81%.[ii] Steriwave nasal photodisinfection is non-antibiotic and kills all types of pathogens – viruses, bacteria, and fungi – in minutes without causing antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Carolyn Cross CEO said:

“As a Canadian company pioneering this photodisinfection technology, it is fantastic to see more and more Canadian hospitals recognizing the importance of decolonizing pathogens in the nose to prevent post-surgical infections, and the need to do so without the use of antibiotics. We are very pleased to be working with the team at Burnaby Hospital who have initiated the use of our Steriwave nasal decolonization therapy to further enhance patient outcomes.”

Pre-surgical use of Steriwave in hospital settings has resulted in significant improvements in post-surgical outcomes including lower rates of surgical site infections (SSIs), reduced patient length of stay, fewer readmissions, and lower rates of antibiotic prescribing.^{[iii],[iv],[v]}

Ondine’s nasal photodisinfection is already in use in or under evaluation at other major hospitals across Canada, including Vancouver General Hospital, The Ottawa Hospital, and the Montreal Heart Institute. 

[i] Calderwood MS, Anderson DJ, Bratzler DW, et al. Strategies to prevent surgical site infections in acute-care hospitals: 2022 Update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2023;44(5):695-720. doi:10.1017/ice.2023.67

[ii] Poovelikunnel T, Gethin G, Humphreys H. Mupirocin resistance: clinical implications and potential alternatives for the eradication of MRSA. J Antimicrob Chemother. 2015;70(10):2681-2692. doi:10.1093/jac/dkv169

[iii] Banaszek D, Inglis T, Tamir Ailon T, Charest-Morin R, Dea N, Fisher C, Kwon B, Paquette S, Street J. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of photodynamic therapy in prevention of surgical site infection. The Spine Journal, Volume 19, Issue 9, Supplement, 2019, Page S138.

[iv] https://www.londonstockexchange.com/news-article/OBI/ottawa-hospital-presents-steriwave-study- results/15860312

[v] Bryce E, Wong T, Forrester L, et al. Nasal photodisinfection and chlorhexidine wipes decrease surgical site infections: a historical control study and propensity analysis [published correction appears in J Hosp Infect. 2015 Sep;91(1):93]. J Hosp Infect. 2014;88(2):89-95. doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2014.06.017