New Medline BioCon™ 500 Bladder Scanner Aids Nursing Homes in F-Tag 315 Incontinence Assessment

Scanner provides a quick, safe and non-invasive way to measure bladder volume and post-void urinary

Thursday, May 13, 2010 —

Medline Industries, Inc. today announced the launch of the BioCon 500 Scanner, which can calculate bladder volume in seconds, giving nursing homes a quick, safe and non-invasive way to conduct their F-Tag 315 incontinence assessments.

F-Tag 315 expects long-term care facilities to have systems and procedures in place to ensure continence assessments are timely and appropriate interventions are defined, implemented, monitored and revised as necessary within current standards of practice. The BioCon 500 provides a non-invasive post void residual (PVR) urine volume measurement that allows the caregiver to closely monitor the patient for urine retention, thus giving them more information to determine the need for inserting an indwelling catheter, or instead, utilizing an intermittent catheter. Reducing the amount of catheters could lessen the risk of the patient developing a catheter-associated urinary tract infection during their stay.

CAUTI is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections, not only comprising 40 percent of all institutionally acquired infections, but also eight percent of infections in the home care setting. Avoiding unnecessary catheter use is a primary strategy for preventing CAUTI. Bladder scanners can be used in place of a urinary catheter to assess bladder volumes and reducing the number of catheterizations.

The BioCon 500 is also the only portable, 3-D ultrasound device with pre-scan capability, which allows the clinician to view the bladder on the screen before the measurement begins. This feature improves accuracy by making sure the entire bladder is being scanned. It also saves time by not having to redo an improper scan.  Currently, many caregivers take up to three scans and average them in order to feel confident they have the most accurate reading – a less than optimum use of time.

Additionally, an optional calibration kit is available for purchase so that biomedical engineering departments can perform the required calibration that every scanner needs on a yearly basis.  Other scanner models require the scanner be sent back for repair or calibration, which often times takes 1-2 weeks to return and is costly.

To learn more about the BioCon 500 and other alternative solutions to urinary catheterization, visit www.erasecauti.com/alternatives or contact your Medline sales representative.

Medline, the nation's largest privately held manufacturer and distributor of healthcare products, manufactures and distributes more than 100,000 products to hospitals, extended care facilities, surgery centers, home care dealers and agencies. Headquartered in Mundelein, IL, Medline has more than 900 dedicated sales representatives nationwide to support its broad product line and cost management services.

Over the past five years, Medline has been the fastest growing distributor of medical and surgical supplies in the U.S., serving as the primary distributor to over 450 major hospitals and health care systems. As a leading distributor, Medline offers a comprehensive array of consulting and management services encompassing the supply chain and logistics, utilization and standardization, business tools and enhanced reporting capabilities, and on-staff clinicians.

Medline has a growing network of 32 distribution centers around the country, as well as an expanding, dedicated transportation fleet with over 200 vehicles in a variety of sizes to fit customers' specific delivery needs. The fleet is equipped with the latest navigation devices for enhanced order tracking and communication.