We’ve reported on Masimo‘s noninvasive hemoglobin monitor, part of Masimo Rainbow SET, here on Medgadget in the past. The idea of monitoring hemoglobin in real time and without the need to draw blood is very attractive in the OR and ICU settings, but does it work? According to results of a trial released at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists this week, the answer is a resounding yes!
In the study, Masimo’s device helped reduce blood tranfusions in orthopedic surgery patients by an astounding 86 percent. Patients received either the “standard of care” (using blood draws) or the continuous hemoglobin measurement along with the blood draws to guide transfusion therapy. Of the 327 total patients, seven in the standard group and only one in the Masimo group received blood transfusions.
According to lead researcher, Jesse M. Ehrenfeld, MD, MPH, recently appointed as Director, Center for Evidence Based Anesthesia at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, “Blood transfusions pose real risks to patients and are also a major contributor to the cost of surgical care. Very few monitoring technologies are subjected to the rigor of a randomized controlled trial, and even fewer are able to show a significant impact on clinician behavior and ultimate patient outcome. Our study has demonstrated that SpHb monitoring clearly changes clinician behavior and results in lower intraoperative blood transfusion rates and lower overall blood utilization. These findings have important clinical implications for hospitals around the world who are seeking to reduce surgical patient risk and reduce costs.”
Press release: Randomized Controlled Trial Shows Masimo Noninvasive and Continuous Hemoglobin Monitor Helps Clinicians Reduce Blood Transfusions During Surgery
Product page: Masimo’s total hemoglobin (SpHb)…
Flashbacks: Fluid Volume Monitoring with Pulse Ox Shows Promise; Easy Hemoglobin Monitoring Without Butterflies, Needles or Catheters; Masimo Releases Acoustic Sensor System for Continuous Respiration Rate Monitoring; Masimo Launches Hemoglobin Hand-Held Tester Pronto-7; Masimo to Release New Halo Index, Radical 7 Pulse Oximeter, Patient SafetyNet Monitoring System