RAMAT GAN, Israel, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The peer-reviewed journal Pain Management Nursing has published the results of an observational study exploring the utilization of NOL^® monitoring to assess pain response levels experienced by mechanically ventilated patients in the ICU (intensive care unit). The study has found that the NOL index can identify and quantify different levels of painful stimuli (such as endotracheal suctioning procedures) in these patients.

The purpose of NOL monitoring is to enable clinicians to optimize pain control for better outcomes, even for non-communicating patients. Currently, NOL technology is primarily used for optimizing pain management in surgical settings.

The study, led by Dr. Céline Gélinas (Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University; Centre for Nursing Research and Lady Davis Institute, Jewish General Hospital, Montreal), notes that in earlier studies awake patients have reported heightened intensity of pain during noxious ICU procedures, and have also reported pain during rest. A lack of effective assessment of the patient's pain in these circumstances, the researchers add, has been associated with prolonged ICU stay and higher mortality rates. Prolonged exposure to excessive amounts of opioids can also lead to a higher incidence of opioid-related complications, tolerance and addiction in these patients. "Pain assessment in the ICU remains a challenge for clinicians. Deeply sedated or paralyzed patients are unable to be assessed for pain using traditional pain scales. Hence, the need for valid pain assessment is critical to achieve better outcomes," says Dr. Gélinas.

"This study has demonstrated the potential value of NOL monitoring in a new setting – in the ICU," says Medasense Founder & CEO, Galit Zuckerman-Stark. "Patients undergoing invasive ventilation are treated with pain medication; but getting the doses right can be critical for faster recovery. Too little medication may lead to agitation and patient-ventilator asynchrony – which may result in severe hypoxia and even death; and too much may result in further respiratory depression, prolonged ventilation, a longer weaning period and extended recovery time.

"We are currently conducting additional studies - with larger cohorts - to further confirm the benefits of NOL monitoring to help guide pain management for mechanically ventilated patients, including COVID-19 patients. Recent ICU guidelines published by the Spanish Society of Intensive, Critical Medicine and Coronary Units (SEMICYUC) also recommends the use of objective pain monitors, specifically the NOL, to assess and help manage pain in deeply sedated and intubated COVID-19 patients."

Access the full article at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32354616

*NOL monitoring is currently not commercially available in the U.S.

About Medasense and NOL Technology

Medasense (www.medasense.com) offers a breakthrough technology that enables clinicians to optimize and personalize pain control and avoid overmedication. Medasense's flagship product, the PMD-200™ with its NOL® index, is a unique platform that objectively monitors and quantifies the patient's pain response by means of artificial intelligence and a proprietary non-invasive sensor platform. 

The PMD-200 is distributed in Europe exclusively by Medtronic (NYSE:MDT), is cleared for marketing also in Canada, Latin America, Australia and Israel, and enables connectivity with Philips patient monitors. Clinical studies have demonstrated its impact on patient safety and outcomes, including opioid-sparing.

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SOURCE Medasense Biometrics Ltd.