LiDCO Group Plc 21 March 2005 For immediate release 21 March 2005 LiDCO GROUP PLC ("LiDCO" or "the Company") USE OF LIDCO TECHNOLOGY SUBSTANTIVELY REDUCES SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS AND COSTS SIGNIFICANT INDEPENDENT TRIAL RESULTS LiDCO Group plc, (AIM: LID) the UK-based cardiovascular monitoring company, is pleased to announce today that the results of a major trial at St George's Hospital, London using Lidco's minimally invasive monitoring technology will be presented during the 25th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine in Brussels (21st to 25th March). The results have revealed the following: • Savings in the cost of treating patients amounting to an average of £4000 per patient. Extrapolated nationally, this would equate to a saving of £500 million per annum for the NHS • The monetary saving - £248,000 - resulted from 640 hospital days saved for 62 patients, an average of more than 10 bed days per patient • The savings in cost and time were associated with a significant reduction in medical complications (particularly infections - which were halved) through the use of LiDCO's minimally invasive technology to improve tissue oxygen levels following surgery. These are the results from a randomized controlled trial which used LiDCO's minimally invasive cardiovascular monitoring technology to both measure blood flow and increase oxygen delivery in surgery patients. The trial quantified the effect of increased oxygen delivery (Early Goal Directed Therapy "EGDT") on morbidity (organ damage and infection) and post surgery bed day stay. Using LiDCO's new generation monitor, significant improvements in outcome may now be achieved postoperatively without over burdening scarce intensive care facilities and without the use of older and more invasive monitoring techniques. The study concluded: 'EGDT immediately following general surgery in high risk patients reduces complications and length of hospital stay. This approach is both practical and effective.' Details of the clinical trial results can be requested from the Company. For more information please visit www.lidco.com For further information please contact: LiDCO Group Plc Terry O'Brien (CEO) terry@lidco.com 020 7749 1500 Theresa Wallis (Chairman) theresa.wallis@lidco.com Buchanan Communications Tim Anderson tima@buchanan.uk.com 020 7466 5000 Mary-Jane Johnson mary-janej@buchanan.uk.com James Strong jamess@buchanan.uk.com Durlacher Ltd (Broker & Nomad) Grant Harrison (Head of Corporate Broking) 020 7459 3600 Notes for Editors: Background to the clinical trial: Better than standard care - (EGDT) improves outcome in high risk surgery patients: For many patients standard surgical and post operative care is adequate. However, there is a group of patients at higher risk of surgical morbidity (tissue damage) and mortality (death). The risk is related to the patient's preoperative fitness level and, in particular, how their cardiovascular (heart and circulation) and respiratory (oxygenation) reserves respond to the stress of surgery. Low reserves/levels of fitness translate into a higher risk of complications. A number of studies have shown that the use of early goal-directed therapy (EGDT) to achieve and maintain adequate tissue oxygenation in such patients can result in a reduction in complications, a better clinical outcome and commensurately lower hospital costs. Why is EGDT not available to all high risk surgery patients? Adoption of EGDT in general surgery patients has been inhibited by the invasive and complex nature of more traditional monitoring equipment which is catheter based, (the catheter has to be inserted into the heart). The risk of infection and tissue damage coupled to the resource/cost implications of using such complex catheter based technologies has slowed the application of such advanced cardiovascular care to a wide patient population. Post surgical EGDT is an ideal application for the minimally invasive LiDCOplus monitor: LiDCO's technology is less invasive as it does not require the insertion of additional catheters into the heart. It can be used in conscious or unconscious patients, and is designed to be quick and easy to set up. The monitor can be used by both doctors and nurses to measure and display beat to beat trends in blood flow and oxygen delivery to the body. Using this technology the maintenance of a target oxygenation level and/or the 'early' and rapid pay back of any oxygen debt incurred during surgery can be both achieved and, importantly, documented. The LiDCOplus monitor screen software has been specifically designed to be highly visible at a distance for routine monitoring once the patient is stabilized, whilst also providing more detailed feedback when the clinician or nurse is administering the intravenous fluids and powerful drugs that are used to increase blood flow and oxygen delivery. Summary of the advantages of the LiDCOplus technology in the treatment of high risk surgery patients: • No additional staff are needed to set and achieve oxygen delivery targets • The technology can be used by a nurse and does not require a specialist clinician • It can be set up quickly and easily • The monitor is specially designed to be make precise critical measurements easy to read and interpret, enabling swift corrective action to be taken when needed • The technology enables an audit trail of medical data to be recorded and passed to the hospital's patient information system • Significantly less invasive with commensurately lower infection rate reduced risk of tissue damage and less trauma for the patient than with older catheter based technologies • Collectively, these factors mean better clinical outcomes for patients, lower demands on critical care units staff, and lower costs overall for the healthcare provider. General Notes about LiDCO Plc LiDCO is a UK based AIM traded developer, manufacturer and leading supplier of minimally invasive, computer-based hemodynamic monitoring equipment and disposables used primarily for the management of critical care and cardiovascular risk hospital patients. The technology was invented in the Department of Applied Physiology based at St Thomas' Hospital, London where the Company maintains a research base. The Company's manufacturing facility is in Hoxton, London and its current products are: • LiDCOplus and PulseCO monitors: computer-based platforms for displaying a range of real-time, continuous hemodynamic parameters including cardiac output, oxygen delivery and fluid volume; • LiDCO disposables: accurately determine cardiac output in a minimally-invasive manner. The Company has achieved registration of its products in 13 markets in Europe, the USA and Japan. It sells direct to the NHS in the UK, and through a worldwide network of specialty critical care distributors. This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange