LID.L Regulatory News (LID)

LiDCO Group Plc

("LiDCO" or the "Company")

LiDCOrapid technology used in study showing reduced mortality in emergency laparotomy surgery

LiDCO Group Plc (AIM: LID), the cardiovascular monitoring company, welcomes the publication in the British Journal of Surgery of a paper on behalf of the ELPQuiC Collaborator Group, entitled "Use of a pathway quality improvement care bundle to reduce mortality after emergency laparotomy."

The study concludes that the implementation of an evidence-based care bundle for patients undergoing emergency laparotomy was associated with a significant reduction in the risk of death following the surgery. The emergency laparotomy pathway quality improvement care (ELPQuiC) bundle included goal-directed fluid therapy provided throughout the study using the LiDCOrapid cardiac output monitor both during surgery and for 6 hours while the patient was cared for in the intensive care unit.

The care bundle used consisted of:

· An initial assessment with an early warning score assessed on presentation

· Early administration of antibiotics

· An interval between decision and operation of less than 6 hours

· Goal-directed fluid therapy using cardiac output monitoring (via LiDCOrapid)

· Postoperative intensive care

The study also noted that "significant changes in both the use of goal-directed fluid therapy and admission to ICU were found across almost all of the participating sites. These two elements of the bundle may have the greatest impact in reducing mortality in other hospitals and healthcare systems where these standards of care are not met routinely."

The study, which was conducted in four NHS hospitals, showed that the number of lives saved per 100 patients treated rose from 6.47 to 12.44 and the overall adjusted risk of 30-day mortality significantly decreased from 15.6% to 9.6%. The study's authors concluded that 5.97 more lives saved per 100 patients treated overall compared with outcomes before implementation of the ELPQuiC bundle.

Approximately 50,000 emergency laparotomies are carried out in the UK each year and on average 15% of these patients will die within 30 days of the surgery. This group of patients are one of the highest risk hospital patient populations. All hospitals in England and Wales are required to submit outcome data on these patients to the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit. This study has shown that implementing an evidence-based care bundle improved the quality of care to achieve a significant reduction in risk-adjusted mortality after emergency laparotomy.

The ELPQuiC Collaborator Group was formed from four acute Trusts in England, comprising of the Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Guildford; the Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust, Bath; the South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Torbay Hospital, Torbay; and the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust, Exeter.

Commenting, Terry O'Brien, Chief Executive Officer of LiDCO, said: "Large numbers of patients undergo high-risk emergency general surgery. This makes this patient population a compelling target for quality improvement in their care. The potential gains for saving lives are far greater than many other areas of hospital care. This study shows that improving standards in emergency general surgery is possible using existing clinical, surgical and intensive care resources combined with goal-directed fluid therapy using LiDCOrapid cardiac output monitoring.

"These authors and hospitals should be congratulated, their research has spotlighted that a powerful impact can be made to improve the care of some of our highest risk patients. We anticipate that the emergency laparotomy patient population will increasingly become a candidate for standardisation of care by care bundles such as ELPQuiC that include Goal-directed fluid therapy using cardiac output monitoring."

* Paper Referenced: British Journal of Surgery 2014; 10.1002/bjs.9658

For further information, please contact:

About LiDCO Group Plc (www.lidco.com)

LiDCO is a supplier of non-invasive and minimally invasive hemodynamic equipment to hospitals used to monitor the amount of blood flowing around the body and ensure that vital organs are adequately oxygenated. LiDCO's products facilitate the application of hemodynamic optimisation protocols for high risk patients in both critical care units and in the operating theatre. 

Increasingly clinical studies are showing that the optimisation of patients' hemodynamic status in high risk patients produces better outcomes and reduced hospital stay. LiDCO's computer-based technology, developed at St Thomas' Hospital in London, has been shown to significantly reduce morbidity and complications, length of stay and overall costs associated with major surgery.

Key Products:

LiDCOplus: a computer-based platform monitor used in the Intensive Care Unit for real-time continuous display of hemodynamic parameters including cardiac output, oxygen delivery and fluid-volume responsiveness (PPV% and SVV%).

LiDCOrapid: a cardiac output monitor designed specifically for use in the operating theatre for fluid and drug management. The monitor enables anaesthetists to receive accurate and immediate feedback on the patient's fluid and hemodynamic status - a key measure of overall well-being before, during and after surgery. The LiDCOrapid provides:

· early and rapid warning of hemodynamic change to aid choice of therapeutic route: fluid or drug

· quantification of hemodynamic response

· guidance on effective delivery of fluids to ensure the right amount at the right time

LiDCOview: an easy-to-use graphical display of historical LiDCOplus and LiDCOrapid hemodynamic data.

LiDCO Unity Software: software incorporated into LiDCOrapid v2 that allows the LiDCOrapid monitor to co-display Covidien's level of consciousness parameter ('BISTM')* and add the convenience of CNSystem's continuous non-invasive blood pressure monitoring ('CNAP')**. This will address a growing requirement for non-invasive monitoring solutions that are more comprehensive and can effectively replace multiple single parameter monitors. 

*BISTM and Bispectral Index are trademarks of Covidien LP registered in the US and foreign countries.

* CNAPTM is a trademark of CNSystems Medizintechnik AG.

LiDCO monitors use single-patient disposables (sensors or smartcards) which provide an ongoing revenue stream.

LiDCO Distribution Network:

LiDCO sells directly to hospitals in the UK and USA and through a network of specialty critical care and anaesthesia distributors in the rest of the world.

LiDCO's marketing office is in Cambridge, its manufacturing facility and headquarters are in London and its shares are traded on AIM.