HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Crosstex International,
a subsidiary of Cantel Medical Corp. (NYSE: CMN), announced today
the publication of sponsored research that suggests a far greater
infection prevention value of medical face masks, commonly referred
to as surgical masks, than previously understood. The key outcome
challenges conventional wisdom that a medical mask or respirator is
most effective when worn by a person attempting to protect
oneself from exposure to infectious matter. Instead,
if FDA-cleared medical face masks are worn at the potential
source of the infection, the level of overall
protection is magnified up to 300-fold. Published in the
September issue of the American Journal of Infection
Control, the research study, entitled "Quantifying Exposure
Risk and Mask Protection", was conducted by Keith Diaz, MD, and Gerald Smaldone, MD, PhD, at Stony Brook
University Medical Center in Stony Brook,
NY.
This study supports the newest Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention guidelines (September
2010) on Seasonal Influenza Prevention Strategies in
Healthcare Settings, which recommend the use of medical face masks
to minimize potential exposure to influenza viruses in healthcare
settings. The simulated bench study examined the efficacy of
N95 respirators and medical face masks in their ability to reduce
exposure to infectious particles when used either as protective
devices (to protect the wearer) or as "source control" devices (to
control infection at the source, such as a person with flu-like
symptoms). The authors' results demonstrate "the most
important factor in reducing exposure was deflection of exhaled
particles at the source."
"This evidence offers healthcare providers and public health
officials new insight into the benefit of medical face masks as
source control devices," said Gary
Steinberg, CEO of Crosstex International. "It was
clear that medical face masks were being narrowly compared to N95
respirators for their ability to protect the wearer from the
outside-in. We wanted to better understand the value of
medical face masks for source control, that is, protecting others
from the inside-out," said Matt
Conlon, Vice President at Cantel Medical. While
medical face masks are commonly referred to as "PPE" (Personal
Protection Equipment), their original purpose was to protect the
patient from acquiring an infection from the physician. This
new research is the first to quantify their important role in
controlling the infection at the source and further demonstrated
that a tighter fitting medical mask performs best in source
control.
The findings come in the wake of the 2009 H1N1 pandemic when
there were significant complications, shortages, and debate
surrounding the CDC's formal recommendation for the use of N95's by
healthcare workers for protection against the H1N1 virus. Steinberg
said, "This shows an exponential infection control benefit at a
fraction of the cost and complexity of using N95 respirators.
As one of the few remaining U.S. manufacturers of medical
masks, it is important for Crosstex to continue funding this type
of independent research to address infectious disease threats
through continued mask innovation. We don't overlook the fact that
masks are medical devices. We understand they can save lives
and dramatically reduce costs associated with respiratory-borne
infections."
About Crosstex International, Inc.
A division of Cantel Medical Corp., Crosstex manufactures a wide
array of infection prevention and control products for the
healthcare industry. Founded in 1953 and headquartered in
Hauppauge, New York, Crosstex
sells branded and private label products including face masks,
which are 100% manufactured in its FDA-registered New York facility. Sold in more than 100
countries, Crosstex products include sterilization pouches and
accessories, patient towels and bibs, eyewear, surface
disinfectants and deodorizers, germicidal wipes, hand sanitizers,
gloves, sponges, cotton products, needles and syringes, scalpels
and blades, sharps containers, saliva ejectors and evacuator tips.
For further information, visit the Crosstex website at
http://www.crosstex.com.
About Cantel Medical Corp.
Cantel Medical Corp. is a leading provider of infection
prevention and control products in the healthcare market. Our
products include specialized medical device reprocessing systems
for renal dialysis and endoscopy, dialysate concentrates and other
dialysis supplies, disposable infection control products primarily
for the dental industry, water purification equipment, sterilants,
disinfectants and cleaners, hollow fiber membrane filtration and
separation products for medical and non-medical applications, and
specialty packaging for infectious and biological specimens. We
also provide technical maintenance for our products and offer
compliance training services for the transport of infectious and
biological specimens. For further information, visit the
Cantel Medical website at http://www.cantelmedical.com.
SOURCE Crosstex International
Copyright . 29 PR Newswire