14th Feb 2006 07:00
Deltex Medical Group PLC14 February 2006 Deltex Medical Group plc NICE assesses CardioQ as standard clinical practice Tuesday 14 February 2006: Deltex Medical Group plc ('Deltex Medical' or the'Company'), the AIM listed haemodynamic monitoring company, today announces theresults of a NICE ('National Institute of Clinical Excellence') review of thetechnique of oesophageal Doppler monitoring ('ODM'). NICE's review concluded that the CardioQ does not require further approval byNICE. NICE has confirmed that "oesophageal Doppler monitoring is consideredstandard clinical practice." The NICE review, under its Interventional Procedures Programme, involvedconsultation with clinical experts nominated by the Association of Anaesthetistsof Great Britain and Ireland and the Intensive Care Society. The review alsoincluded a study of the extensive body of published clinical evidence on thetechnique of ODM. The vast majority of clinical data on ODM comprises studieswhich used the Company's CardioQ monitors or predecessor devices. NICE is the UK government department responsible for assessing the safety andefficacy of new medical technologies under its Interventional ProceduresProgramme. If NICE concludes that a new technology falls within its remit underthe Interventional Procedures Programme, it will go on to develop guidance onthe safety and efficacy of that procedure. The development of such guidance can take a considerable amount of time,especially as NICE has an extensive backlog of cases to review. NICE canrequire that every doctor using a new technology in the NHS records and reportsits every use during the review process. During the NICE review process NHSTrusts may prefer not to purchase the technology under review pendingpublication of the results of the NICE evaluation. Nigel Keen, Deltex Medical's Chairman, commented: "NICE's acknowledgment that use of the CardioQ is considered to be a standardclinical practice in the UK NHS is a significant step forward for the Company,as it gives the doctors seeking to purchase our products additional support whenmaking purchasing requests from the hospital finance managers. "Oesophageal Doppler monitoring is the only cardiac output monitoring technologyto have been assessed as standard clinical practice by NICE. This furtherdifferentiates our products which are safer and more efficacious thantraditional and alternative technologies as well as being more effectiveclinically, better evidenced and less expensive." For further information, please contact:- Deltex Medical Group plc01243 774 837 Nigel Keen, Chairman [email protected] Hill, Chief [email protected] Phillips, [email protected] Director Financial Dynamics0207 831 3113 David Yates [email protected] Gilbert [email protected] 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 ExchangeRelated Shares:
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