Publication of clinical study
Deltex Medical Group PLC
04 January 2007
Deltex Medical Group plc
New study demonstrates fundamental technological advantages of CardioQ(TM)
4 January 2007 Deltex Medical Group plc ('Deltex Medical' or the 'Company'), the
UK's leading haemodynamic monitoring company, today announces the publication by
a leading scientific journal of a clinical study comparing multiple, alternative
haemodynamic monitoring technologies to the CardioQ in patients undergoing
surgery.
Dr Bundgaard-Neilsen and colleagues at University Hospital, Copenhagen carried
out the study as part of Professor Henrik Kehlet's 'fast-track' surgery research
programme. The aim of the study was to determine whether a fluid management
protocol using the CardioQ, the only haemodynamic monitor proven to improve
outcomes in multiple clinical trials, could be replicated using alternative
technologies.
During the study, patients were given fluid, guided by the CardioQ, using a
standard protocol. Changes in the parameters measured by a variety of monitoring
technologies were recorded simultaneously and compared to changes seen with the
CardioQ.
The results of the study showed that there were no significant changes in blood
pressure during fluid delivery. There were also no significant changes in
blood-oxygen levels during fluid delivery when these were measured in muscle or
the brain and, although centrally measured blood-oxygen levels did increase
during fluid delivery, these could not be used as a guide to optimisation when
compared to the CardioQ. Heart rate decreased as patients were optimised, as
would be expected from earlier clinical studies, but this is of little value in
fluid management. The pressure-based cardiac output monitoring technology used
in the study was either unable to detect the magnitude of change seen by the
CardioQ or unable to detect those changes as quickly as the CardioQ.
The study is published in the January edition of the British Journal of
Anaesthesia. The abstract of the paper is available online at
http://bja.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/98/1/38 where the full paper
is also available to subscribers.
Deltex Medical's chief executive, Andy Hill, commented:
'In over 80% of patients in this study the chosen pressure-based cardiac output
monitoring system either suggested that the patient was 'optimised' when the
CardioQ clearly showed a requirement for significantly more fluid or vice versa.
Based on these results it would be impossible to use this kind of system to
follow the intra-operative fluid delivery protocol that has been repeatedly
demonstrated in studies with the CardioQ to reduce complications and shorten
length of stay.
In the absence of clinical evidence supporting any alternative approaches, the
CardioQ clearly must be considered the de facto standard of care for fluid
management in patients having surgery.'
For further information, please contact:-
Deltex Medical Group plc 01243 774 837
Nigel Keen, Chairman nk@deltexmedical.com
Andy Hill, Chief Executive ah@deltexmedical.com
Ewan Phillips, Finance Director ep@deltexmedical.com
Gavin Anderson & Company 0207 554 1400
Marie Cairney mcairney@gavinanderson.co.uk
Jodie Reilly jreilly@gavinanderson.co.uk
Charles Stanley Securities 020 7149 6457
Philip Davies philip.davies@csysecurities.com
Notes for Editors
Deltex Medical manufactures and markets the CardioQ monitor, which uses
disposable ultra-sound probes inserted into the oesophagus to determine the
amount of blood being pumped around the body - 'circulating blood volume'.
Reduced circulating blood volume is known as hypovolaemia, which leads to
insufficient oxygen being delivered to the organs. This causes medical
complications including peripheral and major organ failure which can lead to
death. Hypovolaemia, which is akin to severe dehydration, affects virtually
every patient having surgery because of the combined effects of pre-operative
starvation, the impact of the anaesthetic agents and trauma from the surgery
itself. Using fluids and drugs, guided by the CardioQ, to optimise the amount of
circulating blood significantly reduces post-operative complications allowing
patients to make a faster, more complete recovery and return home earlier.
The CardioQ incorporates the Company's proprietary software and a small
diameter, easy-to-use, minimally invasive, disposable oesophageal probe that is
used for transmitting and receiving an ultra-sound signal. By using this
technology, the CardioQ provides clinicians with the ability to haemodynamically
optimise critically ill patients and those undergoing routine moderate to major
surgery through the controlled administration of fluid and drugs. Haemodynamic
optimisation has been scientifically proven to improve the speed and quality of
patient recovery and reduce hospital stay.
There are already over 1,250 CardioQs currently in use in hospitals worldwide
and distribution arrangements are in place in over 30 countries. In addition,
there are currently more than 90 clinical publications on the use of the CardioQ
which 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