Newsweek and The Leapfrog Group Name ClearGuard^™ HD Antimicrobial Barrier Caps as One of Its Top Infection Prevention Products a Second Year in a Row

San Clemente, Calif. August 2, 2021 – ICU Medical Inc., a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture and sale of innovative medical devices used in infusion therapy and critical care applications, today announced its ClearGuard HD antimicrobial barrier caps have been named one of the "Best Infection Prevention Products 2021" by Newsweek and The Leapfrog Group. For the second year in a row, ClearGuard HD has occupied Newsweek's list, highlighting products and solutions used by leading hospitals to combat the spread of infections in their facilities.

ClearGuard HD caps kill infection-causing microorganisms inside a hemodialysis catheter hub to help reduce infections. It is a safe, effective and easy-to-use solution shown in two clinical studies to reduce bloodstream infections compared to current products^1,2. ICU Medical added ClearGuard HD caps to its portfolio with the acquisition of Pursuit Vascular in November 2019 to strengthen its consumables product line. The caps are designed to help reduce costly and potentially life-threatening central line-associated bloodstream infections.

ClearGuard HD caps kill infection-causing microorganisms inside a hemodialysis catheter hub to help reduce infections. It is a safe, effective and easy-to-use solution shown in two clinical studies to reduce bloodstream infections compared to current products^1,2. ICU Medical added ClearGuard HD caps to its portfolio with the acquisition of Pursuit Vascular in November 2019 to strengthen its consumables product line. The caps are designed to help reduce costly and potentially life-threatening central line-associated bloodstream infections.

Newsweek, in partnership with The Leapfrog Group — an independent nonprofit that evaluates health care quality — made its selections and ratings using publicly available data, including the data voluntarily submitted by health care facilities to the annual Leapfrog Hospital Survey and Leapfrog Ambulatory Surgery Center Survey. Teams of experts and analysts reviewed the data to identify high performers.

"When looking at safety and effectiveness, evaluations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were considered, along with published research studies," notes Newsweek. "We evaluated the quality of research studies demonstrating a product's effectiveness by looking at reproducibility, closeness between lab data/results and real-world application of the data/results, and closeness of fit between the choice of test or method of testing and what was being for tested for."

Over the last year, issues of infection and safety became top-of-mind for almost everyone, not just healthcare professionals. According to Newsweek, those concerns are likely to remain for some time.

The ClearGuard HD cap is the only device available for sale in the U.S. that is clinically proven to reduce the rate of bloodstream infections in hemodialysis patients. Bloodstream infection is a leading cause of hospitalizations and the second leading cause of death in hemodialysis patients, with catheters causing most of these infections.

"We're honored that Newsweek and The Leapfrog Group recognized the ClearGuard HD caps as one of the top infection prevention products for a second year," said Doug Killion, ICU Medical's vice president of ClearGuard commercial operations. "This distinction is important because it highlights our continued focus on improving patient safety in the U.S., as well as globally."

Earlier this year, ICU Medical launched ClearGuard HD in France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain.

For more information about the 2021 selections and to view the ClearGuard HD cap listing, click here.

Media Contact:
ICU Medical, Inc.
Harrison Richards
(949) 366-4261
Harrison.Richards@icumed.com

About ICU Medical: ICU Medical Inc. (Nasdaq: ICUI) is one of the world's leading pure-play infusion therapy companies with global operations and a wide-ranging product portfolio that includes IV solutions, IV smart pumps, dedicated and nondedicated IV sets and needlefree connectors, along with pain management and safety software technology designed to help meet clinical, safety and workflow goals. In addition, the company manufactures automated pharmacy IV compounding systems with workflow technology, closed system transfer devices for hazardous IV drugs and cardiac monitoring systems to optimize patient fluid levels. ICU Medical is headquartered in San Clemente, Calif. On Feb. 3, 2017, ICU Medical completed the acquisition of the Hospira Infusion Systems business from Pfizer. More information about ICU Medical Inc. can be found at www.icumed.com.

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