Patients to be treated with new light-activated antimicrobial

Patient in hospital bed using Steriwave.

Patients at Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust are the first in the country to be treated ahead of surgery with a new light-activated antimicrobial that kills all types of bugs including viruses, bacteria, and fungi, in minutes.

This new treatment, called Steriwave, is used on hip and knee patients coming in for surgery at Pinderfields and Pontefract hospitals. It also helps to combat antimicrobial resistance.

The Trust decided to roll out the technology after a successful trial at Pontefract Hospital last year.

Dr Stuart Bond, Consultant Antimicrobial Pharmacist and Director of Innovation, said:

“We are very excited to be the first Trust to be giving patients access to this important new technology which kills viruses, bacteria, and fungi with a five-minute treatment.”

Carolyn Cross, Chief Executive Officer at Ondine Biomedical, said:

“We are delighted the Trust has adopted Steriwave, particularly as the NHS is seen around the world as a leader in antibiotic stewardship in response to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance.”

Steriwave is a light-activated antimicrobial that uses a specific wavelength of red light to destroy pathogens that colonise the nose and that can spread to cause infections.

Nasal decolonisation (eliminating harmful pathogens from the nasal cavities) is recommended by WHO and NICE prior to surgery.