Blood gas POCT seminar video published online by sphere medical - new clinical resources centre added to sphere medical’s website

Dr. Tom Clutton-Brock discusses the impact of the new Proxima in-line blood gas analyser

Sphere Medical, innovator in critical care monitoring and diagnostics equipment, has published online a video of an industry seminar on ‘True Point-of-Care Testing’ presented by Dr. Tom Clutton-Brock, Senior Lecturer Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine, University Hospital Birmingham at the AAGBI 2014 Annual Congress. The presentation, which considers the challenges of maintaining control of patient physiology in critical care and how testing arterial blood samples is a vital part of this process, is available to view within Sphere’s new Clinical Resources centre.

Frequent measurement of arterial blood samples is a key component in the effective management of patients in the critical care environment, particularly those that are unstable. Therefore, the amount of blood gas testing ideally required and associated limitations, such as staff time, costs and blood conservation are all key points considered by Dr. Clutton-Brock. To address such challenges in taking frequent blood gas tests he discusses the use of Sphere Medical’s Proxima, a revolutionary in-line patient dedicated arterial blood gas analyser.

Within the video presentation, Dr. Clutton-Brock reflects on how blood gases should be considered to be a vital sign. This is because rapid return of data and swift response to changing blood gases is as essential in critical patient care as the continual measurement of blood pressure. He affirmed how fast feedback and response via a dedicated in-line miniature blood gas analyser, such as Proxima, could have a real impact on efficiently stabilising patients or weaning them from mechanical ventilation.

The Proxima System is CE marked and incorporates a dedicated bedside monitor, as well as a disposable Proxima Sensor integrated into the patient’s arterial line. This sensor contains a range of biological sensors and sits in series in the arterial line, with the blood pressure transducer. When an arterial blood gas analysis is required, blood is withdrawn from the patient directly into the Proxima Sensor and a panel of analytes is measured. All blood is returned to the patient avoiding any blood loss. The disposable sensor can be used for monitoring blood gases and electrolytes over a 72 hour period as many times as required.

Dr. Clutton-Brock will also be presenting on ‘Bedside Blood Analysis’ within the Respiratory Monitoring Session at the forthcoming 35th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine (ISICEM), Brussels, 17-20th March 2015.

For more information on Sphere Medical and the new Proxima in-line miniature blood gas analyser.