Aspect Medical Systems to present a complete family of BIS monitoring technologies at ASA meeting

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting will feature 62 scientific presentations that reference BIS® monitoring when it convenes on October 17-21, 2009 in New Orleans. BIS-related research will cover a broad range of applications for BIS monitoring, including initial results from studies conducted as part of a comparative effectiveness research collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic as well as findings from a study evaluating use of a Composite Variability Index (CVI) that is based on BIS parameters. Aspect Medical Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: ASPM) will also present a complete family of BIS monitoring technologies, enhanced BIS education and simulation technology and the new LiDCOrapid advanced hemodynamic monitoring system.

“A significant amount of research related to the importance of assessing both brain and cardiovascular response to anesthesia is being presented and discussed this year at the ASA meeting,” said Scott Kelley, MD, vice president of medical affairs for Aspect Medical Systems. “We are pleased that innovative technologies and individualized approaches to optimizing anesthesia care continue to be an area of broad clinical interest.”

Outcomes research highlights

Eight abstracts presenting preliminary results from Aspect’s comparative effectiveness research collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic will be presented this week. This includes research that focuses on identification of specific intraoperative events and interventions that are associated with adverse patient outcomes. A key finding from this research suggests that a “triple low” of low blood pressure, BIS values and minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of inhalational anesthesia is associated with poorer postoperative recovery and increased risk of mortality at 30 days and at one year. Furthermore, early intervention with vasopressors appears to reduce much of this harm in retrospective analysis.

“This research reinforces the important role that anesthetic management decisions play in enabling better patient outcomes,” said Kelley. “We believe that this presents a significant opportunity to further define interventions and decision support systems that will lead to additional improvements in clinical practice and patient outcomes.”

Other research related to the Cleveland Clinic collaboration evaluates use of objective “risk stratification” methodologies to compare patient records from more than 85,000 surgical patients treated at Cleveland Clinic with a baseline risk assessment system derived from 34 million patient records obtained from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Results indicate that the risk stratification methodologies provide an objective method for hospitals to compare individual results on a risk- and case-adjusted basis using readily available billing and demographic data. The risk stratification indices also performed well in predicting in-hospital mortality and length of stay.

“In the current healthcare environment, hospitals are increasingly required to publicly report surgical outcomes. However, these reports can only be interpreted in the context of the underlying risk of a hospital’s patient population,” said Daniel I. Sessler, MD, professor and chair, Department of Outcomes Research at Cleveland Clinic. “The preliminary data from these studies suggests that we have found a way to quantify the risk of a surgical patient in a given hospital and compare this risk with observed outcomes. For example, our patient population was considerably sicker than a matched Medicare population, but also significantly less likely to experience complications or die — either in the hospital or in the days and months following surgery. The ability to accurately risk-stratify surgical patients is critical given the growing emphasis on quality and performance measures in healthcare.”

Other Aspect-supported research being presented at ASA includes four abstracts that address how variability in EEG parameters may be useful in assessing patient nervous system response to surgical stimulation during anesthesia. This research is part of a development program for a Composite Variability Index (CVI) that provides an indicator of analgesic adequacy. Results from this prospective, multicenter study (the ADVANCE study) show that CVI was able to detect the likelihood of a somatic event, such as patient movement in response to surgical stimulation, earlier than cardiovascular measures. Study results also show that CVI performed well with both inhalational and intravenous anesthetic techniques.

Products and education programs designed to help optimize outcomes

In addition to presenting the complete family of BIS monitors, sensors and modular solutions, Aspect will introduce the new LiDCOrapid monitoring system, a minimally invasive cardiac output monitor designed for use in the operating room to provide clinicians with accurate and immediate feedback on the patient's fluid and hemodynamic status. The LiDCOrapid system, comprised of a monitor and single-use disposable, provides flow-based hemodynamic monitoring information that is ideally suited for high risk patients and procedures or when optimal fluid management requires more information than can be obtained from standard blood pressure data alone.

“A growing body of research, including research from our collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic, suggests that measuring both brain and cardiovascular responses is necessary to optimize patient management and achieve the best patient outcomes,” said Kelley. “We believe that the BIS and LiDCO technologies are highly complementary and we are pleased to introduce this new offering to our customers.”

Aspect will also present a complete suite of BIS education resources including an enhanced “BIS Titration SimulatOR” that allows clinicians to practice titrating anesthetic agents to achieve a target BIS range while maintaining stable hemodynamics.