US demand for infection prevention products and services is forecast to increase 4.9 percent annually to $21.2 billion in 2015, according to a press release from The Freedonia Group, Inc. As the performer of the most advanced and complex patient procedures and epicenter of the health care-associated infection (HAI) problem, hospitals will remain the largest market for infection prevention products and services, accounting for 55 percent of total demand in 2015.  

To meet recommendations of the 2009 US Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Action Plan to Prevent Health Care-Associated Infections, hospitals will expand and diversify purchases of consumables, supplies, equipment and services that combat the threat of pathogenic microorganisms.  These and other trends are presented in Infection Prevention Products & Services, a study from The Freedonia Group.
 
Nitrile examination and synthetic surgical gloves will fare well in the marketplace as they pose a lower risk of causing allergic reactions in staff than do latex gloves. Cardiovascular surgical drapes will see above average growth in demand based on the expanding prevalence of heart conditions requiring surgical intervention. The market for nonwoven and other surgical gowns will benefit from upward trends in the volume of surgical procedures and increasing physicians’ preferences for higher quality types. Safety-enhanced catheters and hypodermic syringes will post above average growth based on performance advantages over standard devices in the prevention of catheter-linked infections and accidental needlesticks.

Convenience benefits and adaptability to usage anywhere will promote the substitution of waterless hand sanitizers for formulations that require rinsing with water. Performance, compatibility and ease-of-use advantages over glutaraldehyde will impact favorably on growth opportunities for OPA disinfectants in instrument reprocessing. Applications in the reprocessing of endoscopes and dialyzers will drive up demand for peracetic acid disinfectants. Improved quality assurance results will broaden the use of biological indicators in sterilization processes. Above average growth in demand for waste disposal products and services will reflect the adoption of stricter safety standards governing the collection and removal of infectious materials.