Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) announced the findings of a retrospective study published in the Journal of Clinical Monitoring and Computing in which Dr. Ayten Saracoglu and colleagues at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey evaluated the impact of noninvasive and continuous hemoglobin monitoring with Masimo SpHb® on perioperative transfusion management and postoperative patient outcomes on pediatric patients undergoing fronto-orbital advancement surgery. The researchers found that pediatric patients monitored with SpHb had lower intraoperative packed red blood cell (PRBC) transfusion, less postoperative bleeding, and shorter ICU stays.1

Noting the frequency of significant hemorrhage during craniofacial reconstruction surgery, and the importance of an adequate patient blood management (PBM) policy during such surgery, the researchers sought to determine whether PBM that included noninvasive and continuous hemoglobin monitoring might improve transfusion management and outcomes for children undergoing frontal advancement surgery. For their retrospective, case-control study, they collected data for 42 pediatric patients (average age 8.6 months ± 3.9 months) with plagiocephaly or trigonocephaly who underwent surgery between 2018 and 2021, dividing them into a group of 16 patients whose perioperative PBM included noninvasive, continuous hemoglobin monitoring (SpHb group), and 26 patients who were managed conventionally (control group). The SpHb group’s hemoglobin was intraoperatively monitored using SpHb on Masimo Radical-7® Pulse CO-Oximeters®.

The researchers found that patients in the SpHb group had significantly lower intraoperative PRBC transfusion (136.3 mL ± 40.1 mL vs. 181.5 mL ± 74.8 mL, p = 0.015), less postoperative surgical site drainage (125.3 mL ± 47.7 mL vs. 185.8 mL ± 97.6 mL, p = 0.013), and shorter postoperative ICU stay (37.1 hours ± 12.0 hours vs. 64.8 hours ± 24.9 hours, p < 0.001) than patients in the control group.

The investigators concluded, “SpHb measurement in pediatric craniofacial surgery for craniosynostosis is a safe, noninvasive tool to monitor Hb values and help transfusion decision-making, when used keeping in mind bias and inaccuracies of the device. Patients with continuous SpHb monitoring had decreased intraoperative PRBC transfusions, reduced postoperative surgical site bleeding, and shorter postoperative ICU stay.”

This study adds outcomes evidence for pediatric patients to the growing literature on the value of continuous hemoglobin monitoring with SpHb. In adults, SpHb, as part of PBM programs, has been found to improve outcomes in both high- and low-blood loss surgeries, such as reducing the percentage of patients receiving transfusions,2 reducing the units of red blood cells transfused per patient,3-5 reducing the time to transfusion,6 reducing costs,7 and even reducing mortality 30 and 90 days after surgery by 33% and 29%, respectively (when combined with a goal-directed fluid therapy algorithm using Masimo PVi®).8 This evidence of SpHb’s impact on outcomes spans the globe, now representing 7 countries on 4 different continents.1-8 ,Masimo SpHb technology supports clinicians and patient care in more than 75 countries.

SpHb is not intended to replace laboratory blood testing. Clinical decisions regarding red blood cell transfusions should be based on the clinician’s judgment considering, among other factors, patient condition, continuous SpHb monitoring, and laboratory diagnostic tests using blood samples.

Masimo (NASDAQ: MASI) is a global medical technology company that develops and produces a wide array of industry-leading monitoring technologies, including innovative measurements, sensors, patient monitors, and automation and connectivity solutions. Our mission is to improve patient outcomes and reduce the cost of care. Masimo SET® Measure-through Motion and Low Perfusion™ pulse oximetry, introduced in 1995, has been shown in over 100 independent and objective studies to outperform other pulse oximetry technologies.9 Masimo SET® has also been shown to help clinicians reduce severe retinopathy of prematurity in neonates,10 improve CCHD screening in newborns,11 and, when used for continuous monitoring with Masimo Patient SafetyNet™ in post-surgical wards, reduce rapid response team activations, ICU transfers, and costs.12-15 Masimo SET® is estimated to be used on more than 200 million patients in leading hospitals and other healthcare settings around the world,16 and is the primary pulse oximetry at 9 of the top 10 hospitals as ranked in the 2021-22 U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll.17 Masimo continues to refine SET® and in 2018, announced that SpO2 accuracy on RD SET® sensors during conditions of motion has been significantly improved, providing clinicians with even greater confidence that the SpO2 values they rely on accurately reflect a patient’s physiological status. In 2005, Masimo introduced rainbow® Pulse CO-Oximetry technology, allowing noninvasive and continuous monitoring of blood constituents that previously could only be measured invasively, including total hemoglobin (SpHb®), oxygen content (SpOC™), carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO®), methemoglobin (SpMet®), Pleth Variability Index (PVi®), RPVi™ (rainbow® PVi), and Oxygen Reserve Index (ORi™). In 2013, Masimo introduced the Root® Patient Monitoring and Connectivity Platform, built from the ground up to be as flexible and expandable as possible to facilitate the addition of other Masimo and third-party monitoring technologies; key Masimo additions include Next Generation SedLine® Brain Function Monitoring, O3® Regional Oximetry, and ISA™ Capnography with NomoLine® sampling lines. Masimo’s family of continuous and spot-check monitoring Pulse CO-Oximeters® includes devices designed for use in a variety of clinical and non-clinical scenarios, including tetherless, wearable technology, such as Radius-7® and Radius PPG™, portable devices like Rad-67®, fingertip pulse oximeters like MightySat® Rx, and devices available for use both in the hospital and at home, such as Rad-97®. Masimo hospital automation and connectivity solutions are centered around the Masimo Hospital Automation™ platform, and include Iris® Gateway, iSirona™, Patient SafetyNet, Replica®, Halo ION™, UniView®, UniView :60™, and Masimo SafetyNet®. Additional information about Masimo and its products may be found at www.masimo.com. Published clinical studies on Masimo products can be found at www.masimo.com/evidence/featured-studies/feature/.