LID.L Regulatory News (LID)

8 Nov 2005 07:01

LiDCO Group Plc08 November 2005 For immediate release 8 November 2005 LIDCO GROUP PLC ("LiDCO" or "the Company") STUDY SHOWS LiDCO TECHNOLOGY HELPS TO REDUCE POST SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS - POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS TO NHS ESTIMATED AT UP TO £500 MILLION 8 November 2005: LiDCO Group plc (AIM: LID), the cardiovascular monitoringcompany, is pleased to note that the findings of a recent study which utilizedthe LiDCOplus monitor, published today in the journal Critical Care, have shownthat achieving and maintaining increased oxygen delivery in high-risk patientsimmediately after major surgery reduces the patients' risk of post-operativecomplications by more than one third and also reduces the length of time spentin hospital by an average of 12 days1. LiDCO's technology is a unique technologyin that it minimally invasively provides real-time measurement of the absolutelevel of oxygen delivery without the need for insertion of an invasive catheterinto a major artery or the heart. Implementation of a similar strategy in other hospitals across the NHS couldresult in estimated savings of £500 million annually. The protocol, which isbased on the principle of Goal Directed Therapy (GDT) or patient optimisation,was conducted at St George's Hospital, London1. The St George's protocol uses a tailored combination of intravenous fluid andDopacardTM (dopexamine) to achieve target levels of oxygen delivery to thepatient1. Progress is measured using a LiDCOplus monitor for the eight-hourperiod after surgery1. The combination of fluids and dopexamine together withless invasive monitoring leads to reduced complications and infection risks. Itis also an ideal system for nurse-led patient management. The technique is easy to use and reduces the risk of infection and trauma to thepatient1. A randomised controlled, partially blind, single-centre study was conducted atthe adult intensive care unit at St George's Hospital, London. In the study,122 adult patients at high risk of post-operative complications were recruited;62 patients were randomised to receive goal directed therapy (GDT), and 60patients, control treatment. The patients were followed up for 60 days aftersurgery1. Analysis of the results found that patients in the GDT group developedsignificantly fewer complications and spent less time in hospital after surgery,compared with those in the control group. Under half (44%) of the patients inthe GDT group developed complications, compared with more than two thirds in thecontrol group (68%). The average length of stay in hospital in the GDT groupwas 17 and a half days, compared to 29 and a half days in the control group1. Approximately three million surgical operations are carried out in the UK everyyear, with a hospital mortality rate of (0.8-1.0%)2. Of these, a proportionwill be high-risk patients, and mortality rates are likely to be higher withinthis subset. Data from the National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcomeand Death (NCEPOD) has been found to show that 20,000 people die every yearfollowing surgery3. An estimated 3 in 100 patients will develop post-operativeinfections, which often result in a longer stay in hospital. Patients in other countries routinely receive a higher level of post-surgicalcare than the majority of NHS patients do; and the UK has a lower proportion ofhospital beds allocated to critical care (0.6 critical-care beds per 10,000population in the UKcompared to 4.4 per 10,000 in the US2). Commenting on this announcement, Terry O'Brien, Chief Executive of LiDCO, said:"I am delighted that the LiDCOplus monitor was chosen to be used in this studyand helped to produce such significant medical findings. Our technology wasfound to be minimally invasive, easy to use, and helped to reduce the risk ofinfection and trauma to patients. This, coupled with the reduced need forpost-operative care and the implied major NHS cost savings of up to £500million, is a huge boost for our Company." Commenting on these results, David Bennett, Professor of Intensive Care Medicineat St George's Hospital said: "Every year 8,000 patients in the UK will dieafter major surgery and intensive care treatment. These results are highlysignificant and, if replicated in other hospitals in the UK, could ensure awidespread reduction in risk associated with major surgery. The resultingimprovement in patient outcomes and shorter hospital stay will not just meanmore patient beds available, but ensure massive cost savings if implementedthroughout the NHS. St George's saved £1.8 million last year by implementingthis simple protocol." ---Ends--- For further information please contact: LiDCO Group Plc: Tel: +44 (0)20 7749 1500 Terry O'Brien (CEO), Hugh McGarel-Groves (FD) Financial PR: Buchanan Communications: Tel: +44 (0)20 7466 5000 Tim Anderson, Mary-Jane Johnson, James Strong Medical & Consumer PR: Reynolds-MacKenzie: Tel: +44 (0)20 7031 4360 / 4361Eva Reynolds, Alison MacKenzie Broker: Panmure Gordon Tel: +44 (0)20 7459 3600Grant Harrison, Aubrey Powell, Katherine Roe References 1 Pearse, R. et al. Early goal directed therapy following major surgery reducescomplications and duration of hospital stay. A randomised controlled trial.Critical Care vol.9(6), 687 -693, 2005. 2 Surgical Outcomes Group. Modernising care for patients undergoing majorsurgery - Improving patient outcomes and increasing clinical efficiency. Areport by the Surgical Outcomes Group, published in June 2005. 3 National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths. The 2002 report ofthe National Confidential Enquiry into Perioperative Deaths. 11 November 2002. Notes for editors About LiDCO Group Plc LiDCO is a UK-based AIM-traded developer, manufacturer and leading supplier ofminimally invasive, computer-based hemodynamic monitoring equipment anddisposables used primarily for the management of critical care andcardiovascular risk hospital patients. Use of LiDCO's technology has been shownto significantly reduce the complications (particularly infections) and costsassociated with major surgery. The technology was invented in the Department ofApplied Physiology based at St Thomas' Hospital, London where the Companymaintains a research base. The Company's manufacturing facility is in London, UK and its current productsare: LiDCOplus and PulseCO monitors: computer-based platforms for displaying a rangeof real-time, continuous hemodynamic parameters including cardiac output, oxygendelivery and fluid volume; LiDCO disposables: used in conjunction with the LiDCOplus Monitor to accuratelydetermine cardiac output in a minimally-invasive manner. Distribution Network: The Company has now achieved registration of its products in 13 markets inEurope, the USA, Brazil and Japan. It sells direct to the NHS in the UK, andthrough a worldwide network of specialty critical care distributors. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange