Disposable Medical Supplies

US demand to reach $47 billion in 2016
US demand for disposable medical supplies is forecast to increase 4.3 percent annually to $46.7 billion in 2016. An expanding volume of patient care activity spurred by aging demographic patterns, a rising incidence of diseases and disorders, and the extension of health insurance coverage by the Affordable Care Act of 2010 will promote growth. Demand for disposable medical supplies will also build upward momentum as hospitals, outpatient facilities and other health care establishments adopt stricter infection prevention safeguards to meet stronger standards. Health care cost containment pressures will remain the key moderating influence on growth in the US disposable medical supplies market. Hospitals and other medical providers will become increasingly price sensitive in purchasing products as public and private health insurance concerns tighten restrictions on fees paid for patient procedures.

Drug delivery products to maintain dominance
Drug delivery devices will remain the largest and fastest growing group of disposable medical supplies. Growth will reflect an expanding number of chronic care patients who require surgery or continuous therapy. This trend, coupled with the introduction of new higher value-added, safety-enhanced products, will boost demand for several single-use products, including prefillable syringes and inhalers, intravenous catheters, oxygen therapy disposables, hemodialysis bloodlines and peritoneal dialysis kits.

First aid kits to pace wound management demand
Demand for wound management supplies will benefit from tissue sealants and adhesives composed of polymers and bioengineered substances, along with foam, alginate, collagen and growth factor wound dressings, to post the fastest gains based on performance advantages in the healing of surgical incisions and treatment of moderate-to-severe lacerations, respectively. Conversely, demand for bandages will expand at a below average pace due to limited pricing flexibility and the overall lack of proprietary types. First aid kits will fare the best among the products in this group, building momentum from trends that promote selftreatment. Gains in less invasive surgery will weaken the overall market for traditional suture and staple wound closures.

Class IV surgical drapes & gowns to pace nonwovens
Class IV surgical drapes and gowns will post the strongest sales gains among nonwoven medical textiles as surgical infection prevention safeguards are upgraded by hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Disposable face masks will also fare well in the marketplace, benefiting from routine use by medical providers in virtually all direct contact patient procedures. New enhanced absorbent, odor neutralized undergarments and shields will see the fastest gains in demand among incontinence products due to comfort and protection advantages.

Among other disposable medical supplies, blood glucose test strips; surgical, diagnostic and urinary catheters; biological sterilization indicators; and medical waste disposal products will realize the fastest growth in demand. An expanding number of diabetics engaging in selftesting will boost sales of blood glucose test strips. A rising prevalence of heart conditions will promote the increasing use of surgical and diagnostic catheters, with devices for angioplasty and angiography posting the fastest demand gains.

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