Deltex Medical Regulatory News (DEMG)

16 Mar 2006 07:01

Deltex Medical Group PLC16 March 2006 Deltex Medical Group plc Liver surgery audit demonstrates benefits of CardioQ 16 March 2006 Deltex Medical Group plc ('Deltex Medical' or the 'Company'), theAIM listed haemodynamic monitoring company, today announces the preliminaryfindings from an audit of the use of the Company's CardioQ(TM) monitor in liversurgery. Major liver surgery carries with it the risk of severe blood loss requiringtransfusion of whole blood or elements derived from whole blood ('bloodproducts'). Patients undergoing liver surgery frequently experiencecomplications related to the need for transfusion that can markedly extendlength of stay. Doctors and managers at a European teaching hospital undertook an audit of theuse of the CardioQ in ten patients undergoing major liver surgery and comparedthe use of disposable equipment, whole blood and blood products for thesepatients with historical averages. Overall, use of whole blood and blood products was significantly less on averagefor the monitored group. Cost savings, taking into account the cost of theDeltex Medical probe and the reduction in whole blood, blood products andancillary equipment used, but excluding savings from length of stay reduction,were approximately €3,500 per patient. Deltex Medical's Chief Executive, Andy Hill, commented: "This work in liver surgery represents a new and different approach to the useof the CardioQ. In this application the primary goal is to safely manipulate apatient's haemodynamic status in order to minimise blood loss and the resultantneed for blood transfusion. "There are approximately 80,000 patients every year in Europe alone who couldbenefit enormously from this approach if it were adopted as a standard of care,and there is the additional potential for substantial cost savings at hospitals." For further information, please contact:- Deltex Medical Group plc 01243 774 837Nigel Keen, Chairman nigel.keen@deltexmedical.comAndy Hill, Chief Executive andy.hill@deltexmedical.comEwan Phillips, Finance Director ewan.phillips@deltexmedical.com Financial DynamicsDavid Yates david.Yates@fd.com 0207 831 3113John Gilbert john.gilbert@fd.com Notes for Editors Deltex Medical manufactures and markets the CardioQ monitor, which usesdisposable ultra-sound probes inserted into the oesophagus to determine theamount of blood being pumped around the body - 'circulating blood volume'.Reduced circulating blood volume is known as hypovolaemia, which leads toinsufficient oxygen being delivered to the organs. This causes medicalcomplications including peripheral and major organ failure which can lead todeath. Hypovolaemia, which is akin to severe dehydration, affects virtuallyevery patient having surgery because of the combined effects of pre-operativestarvation, the impact of the anaesthetic agents and trauma from the surgeryitself. Using fluids and drugs, guided by the CardioQ, to optimise the amountof circulating blood significantly reduces post-operative complications allowingpatients to make a faster, more complete recovery and return home earlier. The CardioQ incorporates the Company's proprietary software and a smalldiameter, easy-to-use, minimally invasive, disposable oesophageal probe that isused for transmitting and receiving an ultra-sound signal. By using thistechnology, the CardioQ provides clinicians with the ability to haemodynamicallyoptimise critically ill patients and those undergoing routine moderate to majorsurgery through the controlled administration of fluid and drugs. Haemodynamicoptimisation has been scientifically proven to improve the speed and quality ofpatient recovery and reduce hospital stay. There are already over 1,250 CardioQs currently in use in hospitals worldwideand distribution arrangements are in place in over 30 countries. In addition,there are currently more than 90 clinical publications on the use of the CardioQwhich have repeatedly:- • validated the results of the Monitor against known standards for measuring cardiac output, demonstrating that the technology works • proved that the CardioQ works in a wide range of surgical procedures • demonstrated that the Company's technology provides significant health and economic benefits by helping to reduce post-operative complications and length of hospital stays by an average of 30 to 40 per cent for a wide range of patients. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange