New Findings Presented at ESRA Annual Congress Reveal Safety and Efficacy Advantages of the ON-Q* Pain Relief System in Post-Surgical Infection Prevention, Total Knee Arthroplasty

ESRA ANNUAL CONGRESS (BOOTH #7A) — September 2, 2015 – Halyard Health (NYSE: HYH), formerly Kimberly-Clark Health Care, a global medical technology company focused on preventing infection, eliminating pain and speeding recovery, invites attendees of the European Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Therapy Annual Congress to attend presentations highlighting the ON-Q* Pain Relief System’s safety and efficacy in garnering better outcomes post-total knee arthroplasty, and supporting enhanced-recovery-after-surgery (ERAS) initiatives.

Inadequate treatment of acute pain may lead to delayed recovery from surgery and contribute to the development of persistent postsurgical pain, which in turn may negatively impact patients’ quality of life.[i]  The United States continues to endure an epidemic of drug overdose deaths, with approximately 46 Americans dying per day in 2010 from an overdose involving prescription opioids[ii].  Recent findings reported by researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN support the use of alternative methods to manage pain after surgery, including non-opioid analgesics, as their data reveal that 1 in 4 patients prescribed opioid painkillers will progress to long-term prescription use.[iii]

The ON-Q* Pain Relief System is a non-narcotic elastomeric pump that automatically and continuously delivers a regulated flow of local anesthetic to a patient’s surgical site or in close proximity to nerves for the treatment of postoperative pain.

Poster Presentation: Postoperative Continuous Incisional Infusions of Local Anesthetics: Their Role in the Potential Prevention of Surgical Site Infections

Overview: Opioids (the standard method of treating pain) have a negative effect on the body’s ability to fight infection after surgery. This meta-analysis analyzed 111 studies on ON-Q*, assessing the effect of the local anesthetic used in the device on the rates of surgical site infection.

Results: Overall infection rates in patients using ON-Q* was 0.85 percent – nearly half that of the control group (1.4 percent) (p=0.02). The meta-analysis concluded that utilizing a continuous infusion of local anesthetic via ON-Q*, for example, offers benefits beyond the immediate control of postoperative pain.

Time/Location: Friday, September 4 at 10:35 a.m. GMT+2 (e-poster Station 4)

Presenters:

• Alan Dine, ‎Senior Director, Global Clinical Strategy and Government Affairs, Halyard Health
• Nicole Cooper, Clinical Hotline Specialist, Halyard Health

Poster Presentation: Postoperative Pain Management Following Total Knee Arthroplasty, Continuous Periarticular Local Anesthetic Infusion vs. Liposomal Bupivacaine Injection, Review of the Literature

Overview: Managing acute pain following total knee arthroplasty is a major therapeutic challenge, as postoperative pain hinders ambulation and rehabilitation, with impact on duration of hospitalization and long-term outcomes. This literature review compared the use of a continuous infusion of local bupivacaine (using ON-Q*) with injections of liposomal bupivacaine (EXPAREL) following total knee arthroplasty.

Results: The continuous infusion of bupivacaine was superior in terms of efficacy and safety – lowering opioid consumption by 55 percent in the first 48 hours, and 71 percent 48-72 hours postoperative – compared to either a single injection of local anesthetic, or liposomal bupivacaine.

Time/Location: Thursday, September 3 (on display in the e-poster area)

Author: Alan Dine, Senior Director, Global Clinical Strategy and Government Affairs, Halyard Health

Symposium: Regional Anesthesia in ERAS Protocols: A Multidisciplinary Approach

Time/Location: Thursday, September 3 from 11 a.m.-12 p.m. GMT+2 (Hall 4)

Participants:

• Alan Dine, ‎ Senior Director, Global Clinical Strategy and Government Affairs, Halyard Health
• (moderator)
• Prof. Xavier Capdevila, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Lapeyronie University Hospital, Montpellier, France
• Timothy Brown, Consultant Renal Surgeon, Belfast City Hospital, Belfast, UK

If you are a member of the press and would like to schedule an interview with a Halyard representative about these presentations, please contact Kirsten Swenson at 1-415-512-0770 or ON-Q@mslgroup.com.

About Halyard Health

Halyard Health (NYSE: HYH) is a medical technology company focused on preventing infection, eliminating pain and speeding recovery for healthcare providers and their patients. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Halyard is committed to addressing some of today’s most important healthcare needs, such as preventing healthcare-associated infections and reducing the use of narcotics while helping patients move from surgery to recovery. Halyard’s business segments – Surgical and Infection Prevention (S&IP) and Medical Devices – develop, manufacture and market clinically superior solutions that improve medical outcomes and business performance in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.halyardhealth.com.