Quebec’s Sherbrooke University Hospital Cuts surgical site infections in patients undergoing spine surgery by 78%

• Results demonstrated that patients treated with Steriwave nasal photodisinfection (aPDT) experienced >78% fewer SSIs than untreated patients.
• Hospital length of stay also decreased by 30% in the Steriwave treated patients.

La Malbaie, Quebec – A reduction of 78.8% in surgical site infections in patients undergoing spine surgery was presented at the 25th Annual Scientific Conference of the Canadian Spine Society by researchers from the University of Sherbrooke. The study showed that patients who received presurgical Steriwave nasal photodisinfection had 78.8% fewer surgical site infections (SSIs) compared to the control group (p=0.021).

The Steriwave nasal photodisinfection (aPDT) treatment was developed by Canadian life sciences company Ondine Biomedical to reduce surgical site infections (SSIs). Steriwave targets pathogens in the nose because the nose is a major reservoir of infection-causing bacteria, fungi, and viruses. According to the US-based CDC, SSIs account for 20% of all healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), and are associated with a 2- to 11-fold increase in mortality, with 75% of SSI-related deaths directly attributed to the infection.[i] In the U.S., SSIs cost the healthcare system an estimated US$3.3 billion annually, extending hospital stays by an average of 9.7 days, and increasing hospitalization costs by more than US$20,000 per admission.¹

The findings from the University of Sherbrooke’s year-long retrospective quality of care study confirmed the safety and efficacy of Steriwave in spine surgery patients and are consistent with previous research, notably a 14-year study involving over 13,000 patients at Vancouver General Hospital (VGH).[ii] The VGH study reported a 66.5% decrease in spine surgery infection rates with the use of Steriwave. The Vancouver study also highlighted substantial cost savings, averaging $2.49 million annually, equating to $2,578 per surgical patient.

“We are pleased to corroborate the previously published benefits of Steriwave in reducing surgical site infections in spinal surgery,” commented Dr Bernard LaRue, MD, Orthopedical Spinal Surgeon and Director of Orthopedic Surgery at Université de Sherbrooke. “Success in infection prevention is a team effort, and compliance is critical.  Given its positive impact, we are keen to find ways to extend Steriwave’s benefits to patients undergoing urgent surgeries, where consistent application can be more challenging. We will also be expanding its use to joint replacement surgery patients as part of our ongoing commitment to improving infection rates and patient outcomes.”

The Université de Sherbrooke spinal surgery team including Drs Bernard LaRue, Jocelyn Blanchard, Newton Pimenta, Julien Goulet, Charles Touchette and Jérôme Couture is the first in Quebec to adopt nasal photodisinfection to address the persistent challenge of SSIs in spine surgeries.  The research team which also includes Drs Louis Carrier, Yan Gabriel Morais Silva, Ms Ariane Paquette and Ms Sonia Bédard reported that spine SSIs, which occur in 1-12% of cases,[iii] can each cost about $50,000. 

Highlights from Study Data and Additional Analysis:

• Lower SSI Rates: Patients receiving aPDT nasal decolonization exhibited a significantly lower SSI rate of 1.29% (2, N=155) compared to 6.09% (14, N=230) in the non-aPDT group, a 78.8% difference in outcomes between the two groups (p=0.021).
• Decreased Hospital Stay: The aPDT group experienced a shorter average hospital stay of 4.9 days versus 7 days in the non-aPDT group (30% reduction, p=0.017), enhancing patient recovery and optimizing healthcare resources.
• Pharmacoeconomics: Based on an estimated cost of $50,000 per SSI, return on the Steriwave investment was greater than $17 per $1 dollar spent on the technology deployment.
• Differential benefit: the study demonstrated that the key driver behind the reduction in SSI rate was nasal aPDT, especially in elective surgery where compliance rates were higher.

Dr. Simon Sinclair, Ondine Biomedical’s Chief Medical Officer, commented, “These results from the University of Sherbrooke underscore the safety and efficacy of Steriwave in reducing SSIs following major surgery. Surgical site infections are potentially devastating for patients and their families, and the clinicians we’re working with are happy to have a fast, effective, and easy-to-implement solution. Steriwave is now being used to enhance patient safety and reduce infection in many of Canada’s top hospitals, as well as in multiple NHS Trusts in the UK.”

Ondine’s Steriwave nasal photodisinfection involves applying a proprietary photosensitive agent to each nostril with a nasal swab, followed by illumination with a specific wavelength of red light for five minutes. The light activates the agent, producing an oxidative burst that destroys bacteria, viruses and fungi in a single treatment. This innovative approach reduces HAIs without contributing to antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Steriwave is being used in a growing number of hospitals across Canada, including half of Canada’s 10 largest. It is also in use across several UK NHS Trusts and recently entered a major Phase 3 trial in the US. Additionally, Ondine has partnered with Mölnlycke Health Care—a global MedTech leader specialising in wound care and surgical solutions—to distribute Steriwave in the UK, EU, and Middle East markets.

[i] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Event. National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN), n.d. (link)

[ii] Moskven E et al. Effectiveness of prophylactic intranasal photodynamic disinfection therapy and chlorhexidine gluconate body wipes for surgical site infection prophylaxis in adult spine surgery. Can J Surg. 2023 Nov;66(6), E550–E560. (link)

[iii] Zhang L, Li EN. Risk factors for surgical site infection following lumbar spinal surgery: a meta-analysis. Ther Clin Risk Manag. 2018 Oct 31;14:2161-2169. (link)