Clinicians increasingly embrace innovative technology to meet global healthcare goals for improved efficiency, safety and efficacy of patient care
 
BOULDER, CO — May 18, 2010 — Covidien (NYSE: COV), a leading global provider of healthcare products and recognized innovator in patient monitoring, today announced that the Alarm Management System (AMS) — designed and clinically proven to help improve patient safety — is now in place in preeminent healthcare facilities globally.
 
After one year on the market, the AMS for the Nellcor™ OxiMax™ N-600x™ pulse oximeter is now in place in medical centers worldwide, with more than 3,000 licenses sold in over 100 hospitals in the U.S. and facilities in Canada, Asia and Europe.
 
Because of the complexity of the current healthcare environment and increasing expectation for evidence-based best practices, medical facilities and providers are taking a proactive approach to patient safety and care, adopting systems that enable clinicians to monitor healthcare status efficiently and effectively and intervene in the early stages of a potentially dangerous situation.
 
 “The Alarm Management System identifies desaturation patterns indicative of repetitive reductions in airflow, and adds another level of patient safety and medical efficacy,” said Douglas M. Hansell, M.D., Chief Medical Officer and Vice President, Covidien, Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions.
 
“Covidien is focused on offering clinicians effective tools that address respiratory failure, reduce complications related to hypoxemia and minimize respiratory care-related complications, and clearly the AMS is meeting a clinical need,” Dr. Hansell said. “Our goal is that our clinically proven solutions enable hospitals to provide the highest-quality care for their patients.”
 
The Nellcor N-600x pulse oximeter is a full-featured oximeter system that delivers accurate, reliable readings even during low perfusion and signal interference. The Alarm Management System with OxiMax SPD™ technology minimizes nuisance alarms by intelligently monitoring oxygen saturation (SpO2) levels — a critical measure of respiratory function.
 
Healthcare providers are quickly alerted to potentially dangerous situations — not just drastic drops, but also recurring moderate reductions in airflow, even if the patient has not dropped below the SpO2 threshold. The system also provides the clinician with a breadth of information about a patient’s condition — historical and real-time — enabling timely and well-informed intervention.
 
“Cyclical impairment of airflow is a common denominator in a wide variety of patient conditions that can lead to mortality and severe morbidity, but it often goes unrecognized,” said Frank Overdyk, MSEE, M.D., Professor of Anesthesiology at the Medical University of South Carolina. “Covidien’s Alarm Management System quickly detects potentially harmful patterns and adds another level of patient safety by helping clinicians manage ventilation issues before they become adverse respiratory events.”
 
The Erasmus University Medical Centre Rotterdam in the Netherlands uses the AMS in its department of gastroenterology. “With the climbing numbers of interventional endoscopies under conscious sedation, increasing demands are put on patient monitoring and alarm management,” said Jelle Haringsma, M.D., Gastroenterologist, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands. “The advanced functionality of the OxiMax N-600x pulse oximeter can help meet these demands.”
 
“Our goal at Innovis Health is to bring the latest innovations into our facility to further the efficiency of our clinicians and to provide the best quality of care to our patients,” said Dana Farnham, Respiratory Therapy Manager, Innovis Health. “With the Alarm Management System from Covidien, we are able to intervene early to prevent respiratory issues.”
 
The rapid, widespread adoption of the Alarm Management System reflects Covidien’s position as a trusted provider of quality respiratory solutions.
 
“The increasing demands on the healthcare system worldwide require innovative technology, like the AMS, to deliver efficient, effective monitoring, able to identify potential health complications and prevent potentially life-threatening events,” said Pete Wehrly, President, Respiratory and Monitoring Solutions, Covidien. “At Covidien we are committed to providing industry leading respiratory and monitoring systems that enhance patient safety and meet the complex needs of the 2lst Century healthcare environment.”
 
About Covidien
 
Covidien is a leading global healthcare products company that creates innovative medical solutions for better patient outcomes and delivers value through clinical leadership and excellence.  Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a diverse range of industry-leading product lines in three segments: Medical Devices, Pharmaceuticals and Medical Supplies. With 2009 revenue of $10.7 billion, Covidien has 42,000 employees worldwide in more than 60 countries, and its products are sold in over 140 countries. Please visit www.covidien.com to learn more about our business.