LiDCO Group plc (AIM: LID), the cardiovascular monitoring company, is pleased to announce that at the 4th Evidence Based Peri-Operative Medicine Conference in London a review paper entitled “Modernising Care for Patients Undergoing Major Surgery: Improving Patient Outcomes and Increasing Clinical Efficiency*” was presented by the Improving Surgical Outcomes Group.

The paper states:

1) improvements in post-operative assessment and preparation, peri-operative care and post-operative support have provided an important reduction in the mortality rate as well as decreasing the number and severity of complications suffered by patients following surgery and;

2) savings, in terms of ICU/HDU bed days per patient, were made as a consequence.

In conclusion the paper said that the resource is already available in hospitals to modernise the treatment of surgical patients, reduce costs and improve the outcomes from surgical intervention. Therefore the capital and running costs are ‘marginal in comparison with the potential savings.’

Of significance for the use of LiDCO’s technology the report concluded that ‘for hemodynamic optimisation, the potential savings in terms of reduced hospital stays have been estimated for an average NHS trust to be in the order of over £2 million, based on a reduction in stays of 22-31% and taking into account capital outlay of £60,000 and running costs of £150,000.’

Dr Terry O'Brien, LiDCO's Chief Executive, commented: “The Improving Surgical Outcomes Group have clearly concluded that the NHS can significantly improve surgical outcomes while reducing costs through the adoption of cost effective monitoring technologies such as the LiDCOplus Monitor. This new standard of care is both affordable and achievable and is a better use of the existing hospitals resources.”

* A copy of the review is available here in pdf format.

Notes for Editors

About LiDCO Plc

LiDCO is a UK-based AIM-traded developer, manufacturer and leading supplier of minimally invasive, computer-based hemodynamic monitoring equipment and disposables used primarily for the management of critical care and cardiovascular risk hospital patients. Use of LiDCO’s technology has been shown to significantly reduce the complications (particularly infections) and costs associated with major surgery. The technology was invented in the Department of Applied Physiology based at St Thomas’ Hospital, London where the Company maintains a research base.

The Company’s manufacturing facility is in Hoxton, London and its current products are:

• LiDCOplus and PulseCO monitors: computer-based platforms for displaying a range of real-time, continuous hemodynamic parameters including cardiac output, oxygen delivery and fluid volume;

• LiDCO disposables: used in conjunction with the LiDCOplus Monitor accurately determine cardiac output in a minimally-invasive manner.

Distribution Network:

The Company has now achieved registration of its products in 13 markets in Europe, the USA, Brazil and Japan.  It sells direct to the NHS in the UK, and through a worldwide network of specialty critical care distributors.

Background to the recently published clinical trial: Better than standard care - (EGDT) improves outcome in high risk surgery patients:

The results of a major trial at St George’s Hospital, London using LiDCO’s minimally invasive monitoring technology were presented during the 25th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine in Brussels (21st to 25th March). The results have revealed the following:

a) Savings in the cost of treating patients amounting to an average of £4,000 per patient.  Extrapolated nationally, this would equate to a saving of £500 million per annum for the NHS

b) The monetary saving (£248,000) - resulted from 640 hospital days saved for 62 patients, an average of more than 10 bed days per patient

c) The savings in cost and hospital days were associated with a significant reduction in medical complications (particularly infections – which were halved) through the use of LiDCO’s minimally invasive technology to improve tissue oxygen levels following surgery.