Demand for Infection Prevention Products Will Increase 4.5 Percent Annually Through 2013

A new market research report, "U.S. Infection Prevention Products & Services," from Reportlinker.com projects that the total demand for infection prevention products and services will increase 4.5 percent annually through 2013. Growth will partially reflect the impact of new government legislation and changing health insurance reimbursement policies aimed at reducing the incidence of healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs). Gains will also be driven by efforts to reduce the incidence of HAIs in healthcare and life science institutions, prompting upgrades to standards involving patient and staff hygiene and protection, facility cleaning and disinfection, device and instrument sterilization and medical waste collection and disposal.

According to the report, safety-enhanced devices for IV and injectable drug delivery and in vivo fluid withdrawal, along with high-quality apparel, textiles and disinfectants for surgical procedures, will remain the top selling groups of infection prevention products. An increasing percentage of the syringes, catheters, IV administration sets, blood collection supplies and other disposable sharp instruments employed by the medical community will incorporate safety components designed to prevent accidental needlesticks and associated infections after use.

Spurred by a rising volume of inpatient, outpatient, nursing home care and home healthcare episodes, demand for safety-enhanced medical devices is projected to rise 6.2 percent annually through 2013. The elevated risk of transmitting airborne and bloodborne infections during surgery will foster the expanding use of high barrier drapes, gowns and gloves and high level disinfectants in hospital and ambulatory operating rooms. In addition, upgraded infection prevention standards will encourage the immediate changing of apparel and textiles that are heavily splattered with blood or other body fluids during surgical procedures.

Based on upward trends in the volume and mix of operations, the total market for surgical infection prevention products is forecast to grow 3.6 percent annually through 2013. Cost containment pressures and advances in less invasive surgical techniques will moderate faster growth. Personal, surface and instrument disinfectants consumed by healthcare and life science facilities will grow 4.0 percent annually through 2013.

Pressures to adopt stricter patient and staff hygiene and facility cleaning and disinfection practices will foster gains in healthcare establishments. Disinfectant use in the life sciences sector will expand as production systems and research and diagnostic investigations become increasingly complex and more vulnerable to microbial contamination.

Healthcare and life science markets for sterilization supplies, equipment and services will expand as medical providers and producers adopt stricter protocols to ensure the safety of new and reprocessed products. Stepped-up efforts to prevent the transmission of pathogenic microorganisms to and from staff personnel will promote the rising use of examination and laboratory gloves and other protective apparel in the healthcare and life science sectors. However, multiple source availability and downward pricing pressures will moderate overall growth opportunities for these products.

Lastly, the widespread upgrading of medical and life science infection prevention standards, coupled with continuing restrictions on onsite incineration, will create above average growth opportunities for medical waste disposal supplies, equipment and services.