In Brief: Menlo Care Landmark aquavene midline catheters

Menlo Care Landmark aquavene midline catheters: Panel of experts meeting the week of Jan. 28 to review adverse reactions to the devices "concluded that there is no clear pattern regarding their etiology" and that the Aquavene biomaterial is non-allergic and non-toxic, according to a release from Menlo Care's parent company Johnson & Johnson. FDA recently met with Menlo Care out of concern over adverse event reports with the catheters, and will evaluate the devices along with other manufacturers' catheters in an upcoming prospective clinical trial ("The Gray Sheet" Jan. 22, I&W-13). The Feb. 9 "Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that adverse reactions with the Landmark catheter have often occurred within 20-30 minutes of catheter insertion, "suggesting that the cause of the reactions may be extrinsic to the catheter" with the causative agent "potentially dislodged during flushing"...