Leeds Teaching Hospitals to trial laser-activated antimicrobial
- 12 August 2024
- Leeds Teaching Hospitals is to begin trials of a new type of laser-activated antimicrobial
- The aim is to prevent infections in patients undergoing brain surgery
- The first surgery in the pilot at Leeds Teaching Hospitals is scheduled for mid-August
Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust is to begin trials of a new type of laser-activated antimicrobial in an effort to prevent infections in patients undergoing brain surgery.
Steriwave technology uses a light-activated agent to quickly kill pathogens that can cause infections in the nose – a key cause of post-surgery infections.
After applying the light-activated agent to the patient’s nostrils with a nasal swab, the area is hit with laser light, which activates the agent and causes an “oxidative burst” that destroys any nearby pathogens.
The process takes five minutes and works so quickly that pathogens do not have time to build any resistance, making it a potentially effective alternative to antibiotics.
The first surgery in the pilot at Leeds Teaching Hospitals is scheduled for mid-August. It will be administered to patients undergoing surgery to remove tumours from the brain and spine.
Due to the rarity of the surgery, the pilot does not have a fixed time frame, a spokesperson for Ondine Biomedical, the company that developed Steriwave, told Digital Health News.
Paul Nix, phinology and anterior skull base surgeon at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “Antibiotics can be used to decolonize the nose but need to be applied by patients at home for five days before surgery, and patients may not be able to do this, not to mention the concerns around rising levels of antimicrobial resistance.
“The great advantage of Steriwave is that it can be administered once a patient has been admitted or at short notice for an emergency surgery and works instantly.”
Reducing antibiotic use is a key part of the UK goverment’s 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance, which was published in May 2024.
Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust became the first in the UK to commercially adopt Steriwave in March 2024, as part of efforts to prevent surgical site infections in hip and knee surgery patients. In June 2024, Steriwave became available on the NHS Supply Chain.
