WASHINGTON, July 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Mallinckrodt Inc. (NYSE: MKG) will
highlight the OxiFirst(TM) Fetal Oxygen Monitoring System during a special
presentation to government healthcare leaders at the Congressional Healthcare
Leadership Council being held today. The closed-door session is held annually
to demonstrate the latest healthcare innovations to members of Congress.
The OxiFirst system, approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in
May 2000, is the only system of its kind currently available in the U.S. It
enables obstetricians, midwives and nurses to directly measure the oxygenation
of a fetus during labor and delivery. The system has been called the first
major breakthrough in obstetrical monitoring since electronic fetal heart rate
monitoring was introduced in the 1960s and 70s.
Almost a third of all childbirths in the United States are marked by a
period of uncertainty about the well-being of the baby due to an abnormal
heart rate pattern.
"OxiFirst is an important new technology for millions of women and their
healthcare providers," said Debra Reisenthel, vice president and general
manager of Mallinckrodt's Healthy Mother and Baby division. "When faced with a
worrisome fetal heart rate during labor, OxiFirst can provide reassurance that
the baby's blood is well oxygenated or a warning that it is not. We are
extremely proud that OxiFirst has been recognized as a major healthcare
innovation for the new millennium."
The OxiFirst fetal oxygen monitor utilizes a soft, flexible sensor that is
inserted through the birth canal after the amniotic membranes have ruptured
and the cervix is dilated past two centimeters. The sensor rests against the
fetal cheek, forehead or temple and is held in place by the uterus.
As with conventional pulse oximetry, harmless red and infrared light
shines into the baby's skin and the reflected light is captured and analyzed.
The oxygen saturation is displayed on a monitor screen as a percentage. The
normal oxygen saturation for a baby in the womb, receiving oxygenated blood
from the placenta, is usually between 30 and 70 percent.
About Healthcare Leadership Council
In 1988, CEOs from all disciplines within the healthcare system came
together to form the Healthcare Leadership Council (HLC). The HLC is the
exclusive forum for the leadership of the healthcare industry to jointly
develop policies, plans and programs to accomplish their goals.
The HLC is committed to advancing a market-based healthcare system that
values innovation and provides affordable, high-quality healthcare. The HLC
envisions our quality-driven system as one that is built upon the strengths of
the private sector -- innovation, competition, cost-effectiveness and freedom
from excessive government regulations.
The HLC promotes the interests of its members with Congress, the
administration, media, the research community and the public through effective
communication and education programs. And, in the belief that healthcare,
like politics, is essentially local, the HLC builds local coalitions at the
community level to pursue its goals.
The goal driving the members of HLC is to constantly improve the
affordability, innovation, and quality of an American healthcare system that
is the best in the world.
Mallinckrodt Healthy Mother and Baby Division
The introduction of fetal oxygen monitoring in the United States also
marked the creation of a new strategic business unit -- Mallinckrodt's Healthy
Mother and Baby Division. Meeting the unique healthcare needs of mothers and
their children during the 21 months from conception to baby's first birthday
is the mission of this new division. The Healthy Mother and Baby Division will
bring advanced technologies, like fetal oxygen monitoring, to market and will
provide education and information to parents and clinicians around the world
via the Healthy Mother and Baby website: http://www.healthymotherandbaby.com.
About Mallinckrodt
Mallinckrodt Inc. is a global manufacturer and marketer of specialty
medical products designed to sustain breathing, diagnose disease and relieve
pain. Named one of America's most admired medical products and equipment
companies by Fortune magazine, Mallinckrodt does business in more than 100
countries. In fiscal 1999, combined net sales were $2.6 billion for
Mallinckrodt's respiratory, imaging and pharmaceutical product lines.
Based in St. Louis, Missouri, Mallinckrodt's web site address is:
http://www.mallinckrodt.com.
SOURCE Mallinckrodt Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.mallinckrodt.com
CONTACT:
Barbara Abbett of Mallinckrodt Inc.,
314-654-5230, or barbara.abbett@mkg.com; or Bonnie Eadie of
Mullen PR for Mallinckrodt Inc., 978-468-1155, beadie@mullen.com
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