IRRAS, a commercial-stage medical technology company, recently announced the publication of the first comparative study detailing the use of their novel IRRAflow system. This study, which was conducted by Dr. Adnan Siddiqui and the team from the Department of Neurosurgery at the University at Buffalo, reveals that the IRRAflow system is an effective option for treating chronic subdural hematomas (cSDH). The study found that the system resulted in favorable clinical outcomes, low complication and revision rates, faster clearance of collected blood, and reduced rates of catheter infections when compared to passive drainage using an external ventricular drain (EVD). These promising findings are sure to benefit the neurocritical care sector in the future.
This retrospective study, titled “Use of Novel Automated Active Irrigation With Drainage Versus Passive Drainage Alone for Chronic Subdural Hematoma—A Propensity Score-Matched Comparative Study With Volumetric Analysis,” analyzed the treatment of 55 patients with chronic subdural hematoma. 21 of these patients were treated with a novel automated active irrigation technique (IRRAflow), while the remaining 34 were treated with passive drainage. The patient cohorts were propensity score matched to ensure that they shared similar characteristics, including demographics, baseline comorbidities, and hematoma volume.
Surgeons were astounded by the results of their analysis: the use of IRRAflow resulted in a significantly higher rate of hematoma clearance (0.5 ± 0.4 mL/day with IRRAflow vs. 0.4 ± 0.5 mL/day with passive drainage) and a significantly reduced risk of catheter-related infections. Further, the subgroup analysis that looked at procedures performed with a burrhole alone showed even greater improvements, with significantly lower hematoma expansion at discharge and significantly better brain expansion. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of IRRAflow in treating these conditions.
The results of this clinical study demonstrated a promising trend towards IRRAflow in reducing the duration of catheter placement, total hospital length of stay, and rate of seizure activity when compared to passive drainage. Specifically, the catheter placement duration was 3.7 ± 2.2 with IRRAflow, a decrease from 4.4 ± 4.1 with passive drainage. Similarly, total hospital length of stay was 6.8 ± 3.0 with IRRAflow, a reduction from 10.6 ± 16.2 with passive drainage. Most impressively, no patients experienced seizure activity when using IRRAflow, compared to 3 patients with passive drainage. Although the sample size was small, these results suggest the potential of IRRAflow to significantly improve patient outcomes in the future.
As the global population continues to age, chronic subdural hematomas (CSDH) are becoming increasingly common. In fact, the incidence of CSDH is estimated to range from 1.72 to 20.6 per 100,000 persons per year, with projections expecting it to become the most common cranial neurosurgical condition among adults by 2030. This growing burden of CSDH on patients and neurosurgical clinics alike is cause for concern and a pressing challenge for the future.
The recently published clinical data on IRRAflow confirms its positive impact on intracranial bleeding patients. The study provides head-to-head data that demonstrates the effectiveness of IRRAflow’s combination of irrigation and drainage for more effective blood removal and safer clinical outcomes than traditional treatment methods. Will Martin, President and Chief Executive Officer of IRRAS, believes this is a critical step in the growing pool of evidence highlighting the success of IRRAflow.
About IRRAS
IRRAS is revolutionizing medical care with its innovative medical solutions, designed to drastically improve the lives of critically ill patients. Our comprehensive, cutting-edge IRRAflow and Hummingbird ICP Monitoring product lines are designed to reduce the overall cost of care by addressing complications associated with existing treatments. Our products are available globally through our direct sales team in the US and Europe, as well as an international distribution network. We are committed to transforming patient outcomes and changing healthcare for the better.