Milestone Scientific Inc., based in Roseland, announced May 19 that its CompuFlo Epidural instrument is now available in hospitals and health care centers throughout the United States.
Milestone’s computer-controlled injection device was designed to reduce the number of unintentional dural punctures during childbirth, the company stated in the announcement. According to a study published in 2017 in the National Library of Medicine, dural punctures occur in about 1.5% of all epidural procedures. One of the side effects is a postdural puncture headache, which occurs in about 52% of these cases. However, Milestone quoted numbers higher than these findings, at 5% and 60% to 80%, respectively.
“The current standard of care in epidural analgesia is dated from the 1900s and with the technology we have today, patients preparing for labor should have better, more effective and safe procedures,” Arjan Haverhals, Milestone CEO and president, said in a statement. “Giving birth is a pivotal moment in life and access to safe pain relief during that process is crucial. We are pleased to continue expanding access to this technology, drastically reducing risks and allowing for more reliable and effective applications of epidural anesthesia.”
In addition to increasing precision, the company said CompuFlo can cut costs for health care institutions, with savings of $504 per average patient stay.
