Blood Loss Monitor Associated with Improved Management of Postpartum Hemorrhage

An intra-operative blood-monitoring platform improves postpartum hemorrhage identification, allows for earlier interventions, and improves cost savings compared to visual estimation of blood loss.

The Gauss Surgical (Los Altos, CA, USA) Triton fluid management system uses computer vision and machine learning algorithms to estimate real time blood loss by analyzing images of surgical sponges and canisters taken with an Apple tablet. The system features an intuitive interface that requires minimal training and integrates seamlessly into existing surgical workflow. During surgery a team member unfurls and points blood-covered surgical sponges at the iPad, pressing a pedal to take a photo. The images are processed by algorithms in the cloud that estimate the amount of blood contained.

In a study conducted at Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, NY, USA), the outcomes of over 3,807deliveries monitored via Triton systems in all deliveries (vaginal and cesarean) were compared to procedures in the prior year, during which blood loss was estimated visually. The results showed that the Triton system quadrupled vaginal hemorrhage recognition (2.2% versus 0.5% in controls), and doubled C-Section hemorrhage identification (12.6% versus. 6.4%). Use of the Triton system also increased the likelihood of transfusions given in the delivery room, improved use of secondary uterotonics, and reduced mean transfusion dose. The study was presented at webinar held at Mount Sinai during July 2019.

“This study demonstrates that efficiently obtaining accurate, real-time blood loss information is critical to the successful implementation of a stage-based hemorrhage protocol,” said lead author Daniel Katz, MD, director of obstetric anesthesia research at Mt. Sinai Hospital. “The Triton system helped us detect hemorrhages earlier and enabled our providers to deliver better patient care.”

“With our AI-enabled Triton platform, Gauss is focused on improved management of postpartum hemorrhage, which is the leading preventable cause of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States,” said Siddarth Satish, founder and CEO of Gauss Surgical. “We are thrilled with these results from Mount Sinai, which highlight how Triton is helping our customers deliver better outcomes for mothers.”

Estimated blood loss (EBL) is an important measure during any surgery, in particular to know how much blood is necessary to prepare for transfusion. This has so far been a notoriously difficult task, and doctors have relied on weighted bloody sponges, drapes, and laps to guess hemoglobin-hematocrit ratio, and other measures.

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