Association heightens awareness for significant public health hazard of CO poisoning and advises screening of CO levels in the blood as a way to meet the challenge and improve the quality of care
IRVINE, Calif. — Masimo, the inventor of Pulse CO-Oximetry and Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, today announced that the National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT) supports the use of routine field screening protocols for the detection of elevated carbon monoxide (CO) levels in the blood of any patient presenting with suspected exposure or symptoms.
In a letter to its members and EMS professionals this month, NAEMT highlighted that “failure to diagnose may lead to improper treatment and transport decisions for victims of carbon monoxide poisoning” and recommended proper CO training, along with noninvasive detection protocols for the recognition and management of carbon monoxide poisoning, by all field EMS personnel as a way to improve patient care and protect the public from the “significant public health hazard” of carbon monoxide. The introduction of four new CO training programs, available free to NAEMT members online helps the association build awareness and promote adequate protocols for addressing this public health challenge.
NAEMT joins other industry-leading emergency first responder associations, including the National Association of EMS Educators (NAEMSE) and the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), who have recently issued similar recommendations that EMS and fire professionals “noninvasively screen patients for carbon monoxide poisoning that have had a suspected exposure, or present with any of the signs or symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.” These organizations are examples of a growing trend within the emergency services industry and the convergence toward a new standard of care for the proactive screening of CO-exposed patients and emergency services personnel by newly developed Pulse CO-Oximetry(TM) technology.
NAEMT President Jerry Johnston said, “The new training programs are designed to close the knowledge gap between carbon monoxide poisoning and available noninvasive respiratory gas monitoring tools, like Pulse CO-Oximetry, for both EMTs and paramedics. We believe that Pulse CO-Oximetry represents a vital component in the rapid, noninvasive detection of CO levels in the blood of patients at the scene of emergencies, where critical diagnosis and treatment decisions are initiated and most effective.”
Too often, even the most skilled first responders can miss the chance to treat carbon monoxide poisoning early because until now there hasn’t been a fast, accurate and noninvasive way to detect elevated levels of CO in the blood. However, with the Masimo Rainbow SET Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter -- the first and only technology capable of continuously and noninvasively measuring carbon monoxide levels in the blood -- EMS professionals can easily detect carbon monoxide poisoning on the spot in just seconds with the push of a button, allowing for prompt and possibly life-saving treatment. In addition, the Masimo Rad-57 can also limit the likelihood of long-term cardiac and neurological damage that can result from non-fatal exposures.
Studies have shown that even a single high level exposure, or prolonged exposure to low levels of CO, has the potential to cause long-term cardiac, neurocognitive and psychiatric damage. The long-term effects of CO-including Parkinson-like syndromes affecting motor skills and speech, dementia, cortical blindness, acute renal failure, muscle cell death, and more -- can often be nearly as devastating for victims and their families as its mortality.
NAEMT is the nation’s largest and oldest organization solely representing the professional interests of more than 34,000 paid and volunteer EMS workers from across the United States and 57 foreign countries who provide on-the-scene emergency care to populations around the world.
Joe E. Kiani, Chairman and CEO of Masimo, stated, “NAEMT recommendations specifically address the importance and necessity of screening for CO levels in the blood on the scene of an emergency, where appropriate recognition and management of CO poisoning can make a life-saving difference. We invented Masimo Rainbow SET Pulse CO-Oximetry to provide clinicians with a noninvasive way to quickly, easily and accurately measure CO levels in a patients’ and rescuers’ blood anywhere and anytime. The implication of our unique technology for the advancement of public safety initiatives worldwide by industry-leading organizations like NAEMT is an important step to eliminating unnecessary deaths and long-term health consequences associated with CO poisoning.”
About Masimo
Masimo develops innovative monitoring technologies that significantly improve patient care -- helping solve “unsolvable” problems. In 1995, the company debuted Measure-Through Motion and Low Perfusion pulse oximetry, known as Masimo SET, and with it virtually eliminated false alarms and increased pulse oximetry’s ability to detect life-threatening events. More than 100 independent and objective studies demonstrate that Masimo SET provides the most trustworthy SpO2 and pulse rate measurements even under the most difficult clinical conditions, including patient motion and low peripheral perfusion. In 2005, Masimo introduced Masimo Rainbow SET, a breakthrough noninvasive blood constituent monitoring platform that can measure many blood constituents that previously required invasive procedures. Rainbow SET continuously and noninvasively measures carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO), methemoglobin (SpMet), and pleth variability index (PVI), in addition to oxyhemoglobin (SpO2), perfusion index (PI) and pulse rate, allowing early detection and treatment of potentially life-threatening conditions. Founded in 1989, Masimo has the mission of “Improving Patient Outcomes and Reducing Cost of Care by Taking Noninvasive Monitoring to New Sites and Applications.” Additional information about Masimo and its products may be found at http://www.masimo.com/.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release may include forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations about future events affecting us and are subject to uncertainties and factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond our control, including: risks related to our assumption that the Masimo Rad-57 Pulse CO-Oximeter will deliver a sufficient level of clinical improvement over alternative CO monitoring devices to allow for rapid adoption of the technology at hospitals, fire and rescue, EMT and EMS units, as well as other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 29, 2007, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 1, 2007. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we do not know whether our expectations will prove correct. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We do not undertake any obligation to update, amend or clarify these forward-looking statements or the risk factors contained in our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 29, 2007, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required under the federal securities laws.
Masimo, SET, Signal Extraction Technology, Improving Outcomes and Reducing Cost of Care by Taking Noninvasive Monitoring to New Sites and Applications, Rainbow, SpCO, SpMet, PVI and Pulse CO-Oximeter are trademarks or registered trademarks of Masimo Corporation.
Contact
Tom McCall
Masimo Corporation
949-297-7075
Source: Masimo