Cook Medical Unveils Web Site Designed To Educate Physicians On Balloon Percutaneous Tracheostomy

Main Category: Ear, Nose and Throat
Also Included In: GastroIntestinal / Gastroenterology;  Medical Devices / Diagnostics;  Respiratory / Asthma
Article Date: 18 Nov 2008 - 1:00 PDT

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Cook Medical today further demonstrated its commitment to physician education through the launch of the Ciaglia Blue Dolphin Web site. Accessible through the Cook Medical Web site, this educational microsite is designed to provide physicians with the latest information on a new technique of percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT). This method of entry to the trachea is based on the Seldinger technique that uses a needle, wire guide and dialator to access and enlarge the airway to allow placement of a tracheostomy tube. The site specifically discusses balloon percutaneous tracheostomy that is performed by the inflation of a balloon catheter to provide true radial dilation.

As part of this new Web site, Cook is unveiling an interactive balloon percutaneous tracheostomy simulator for physicians. This self-guided, self-paced and self-correcting educational tool allows physicians to become acquainted with this cutting edge procedure. In addition, the online destination includes a procedural video and interviews with Dr. Michael Zgoda, Asst. Professor - Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center, and Dr. Ben deBoisblanc, Professor of Medicine & Physiology, LSU Health Sciences Center, on their experiences with this method of performing a PDT. The Web site also features a full procedural animation, resource center with FAQs on the procedure, referenced articles and helpful hints.

"Cook Medical provides comprehensive resources for physicians on balloon percutaneous tracheostomy education," said Bruce Gingles, Global Vice President of Cook Medical's Critical Care strategic business unit. "The online destination will be the go-to resource for the latest clinical research on balloon percutaneous tracheostomy and will provide the necessary educational resources for physicians to make informed decisions about PDT techniques."

Dr. Pasquale Ciaglia initially reported PDT in 1985 and in1990 the first Ciaglia percutaneous tracheostomy introducer set with sequential dilators was introduced. In 1999, the Ciaglia Blue Rhino single dilator set by Cook Medical was released to the market and in 2008 the Cook Ciaglia Blue Dolphin Balloon Percutaneous Tracheostomy Introducer, featuring balloon dilation, became available in the U.S. The Ciaglia Blue Dolphin Balloon Percutaneous Tracheostomy Introducer is a true one-step device that combines Dr. Ciaglia's vision of a balloon radial dilation and the method devised by Dr. Michael Zgoda in November 2004. The balloon delivers even and controlled radial dilation that reduces the downward force typically needed to create a tracheal stoma.

About Cook Medical

Cook Medical was one of the first companies to help popularize interventional medicine, pioneering many of the devices now commonly used worldwide to perform minimally invasive medical procedures. Today, the company integrates device design, biopharma, gene and cell therapy and biotech to enhance patient safety and improve clinical outcomes in the fields of aortic intervention; interventional cardiology; critical care medicine; gastroenterology; radiology, peripheral vascular, bone access and oncology; surgery and soft tissue repair; urology; and assisted reproductive technology, gynecology and high-risk obstetrics. Cook is a past winner of the prestigious Medical Device Manufacturer of the Year Award from Medical Device & Diagnostic Industry magazine.

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