The essential journalist news source
Back
17.
January
2018.
SmartPilot View Study

SmartPilot View: Not too shallow and not too deep

Clinical study emphasises the advantages of the software for general anaesthesia

Lübeck - The SmartPilot View anaesthesia software by Dräger helps to make anaesthesia significantly more tolerable for patients, according to the results of a French study carried out on 97 adult patients who had undergone hip surgery. Researchers found incidences that intra-operative hypotension were lower, post-operative complications reduced and patients spent a shorter time in the hospital.

"The study reinforces our efforts to significantly improve the administration of anaesthetics," says Dr. Christian Ulke, Product Manager at Dräger. "With the software SmartPilot View introduced in 2010, and continually improved since then, we can provide anaesthetics with an effective tool." SmartPilot View displays all parameters relevant for anaesthesia control visually on the monitor of a Dräger anaesthesia workstation. It provides information on the calculated time-based course of the effects of administered drugs and on their combined effect. Moreover, it displays the depth of anaesthesia - based on models on the interaction of hypnotics and analgesics - as a numeric value (Noxious Stimulus Response Index).

According to the authors of the study, the interaction models on which SmartPilot View is based and that were developed on healthy patients, can also be applied to frail patients (participants were approximately 80 years old on average). The software helped to improve the haemodynamic stability of these patients. Although the anaesthesia undergone by the control group and the SmartPilot View group was of comparable duration, the amount of anaesthetics administered to the latter group was significantly lower (e.g. Propofol, Desflurane).

Reducing negative effects of anaesthesia

The study authors stress the importance of maintaining adequate anaesthesia levels. If the effect of the anaesthetic agents is too weak, the patient will feel the surgery (in the worst case). If anaesthesia is too deep, incidences of hypotension (drop in arterial blood pressure) are related to an increased postoperative risk of disease or death. The study revealed that patients who had undergone a hip surgery and were treated with the help of SmartPilot View showed a better health status. They could be dismissed from the hospital after a significantly shorter time. Furthermore, these patients suffered fewer complications during the first 30 days after the surgery.

SmartPilot View is manufactured by Drägerwerk AG & Co. KGaA.

Dräger. Technology for Life®

Dräger is an international leader in the fields of medical and safety technology. Our products protect, support and save lives. Founded in 1889, Dräger generated revenues of around EUR 2.5 billion in 2016. The Dräger Group is currently present in more than 190 countries and has more than 13,000 employees worldwide. Please visit www.draeger.com for more information.