GE HealthCare recently announced the publication of the MASTER trial results in the peer-reviewed journal Anesthesia and Analgesia, demonstrating the safety and efficacy of End-tidal Control software for inhaled anesthetic administration for surgical patients. End-tidal Control software automatically achieves and maintains clinician-set targets of end-tidal anesthetic agent and oxygen concentrations. The results highlight End-tidal Control’s performance in achieving and maintaining targeted agent and oxygen concentrations during anesthesia delivery compared to conventional manual control.

As healthcare systems continue to face workforce challenges, sicker patients, and increasing costs and administrative demands, the need for efficient care is critical. Automation in anesthesia gas delivery can help reduce manual intervention and cognitive burden for clinicians, while decreasing costs and optimizing patient care.

To ease the way to more efficient care, automated anesthesia gas delivery can also help support low-flow anesthesia —a technique in which anesthetic gas flow is reduced to the lowest level consistent with safe patient care. “In the dynamic surgical environment, the repeated manual adjustment of fresh gas flows and anesthetic vaporizer settings required to deliver low-flow anesthesia can be challenging for anesthesia clinicians. Results from the MASTER trial showed that End-Tidal Control software was able to achieve and sustain desired oxygen and anesthetic agent concentrations more consistently and timely compared to conventional methods,” said Trial Investigator Melinda S. Seering, MD, Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia at University of Iowa Healthcare.

Four U.S.-based hospitals conducted the randomized, controlled MASTER trial (Multi-site Anesthesia Randomized Controlled Study of End Tidal Control Compared to Conventional Anesthesia Results), analyzing data from 210 adult patients (18 years and older) scheduled for surgeries under general inhaled anesthesia. The study assessed the safety and efficacy of End-tidal Control software compared to conventional manual control in achieving and maintaining provider-set targets for end-tidal anesthetic agent and oxygen concentrations during patient care.

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Study results showed that the End-tidal Control arm achieved:

• Targeted end-tidal anesthetic concentrations within 5% of the set value 98 ± 2% of the time, compared to 46 ± 32% of the time with manual control (p < 0.0001).  
• Targeted end-tidal oxygen concentrations within 5% of the set value 86 ± 23% of the time, compared to 41 ± 33% of the time with manual control (p < 0.0001).    
• Faster response times for achieving 90% of the initial desired end-tidal anesthetic concentration (median 75 seconds), compared to manual control (median 158 seconds) (p=0.0013).  

Additionally, results support End-tidal Control’s ability to significantly reduce anesthetic agent usage, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and costs, compared to manual control. A separate study also showed a potential 44% decline in the rate of greenhouse emissions when employing End-tidal Control software.

“Anesthesia professionals are focused on patient safety and have a history of utilizing technology to deliver improved clinical outcomes. End-tidal Control enables clinicians to automatically manage adequate oxygen and anesthetic delivery. Clinicians no longer have to continually adjust fresh gas flow and vaporizer settings, freeing up their time to focus on other tasks,” said John Beard, MD, anesthesiologist and Chief Medical Officer of Patient Care Solutions, GE HealthCare.

GE HealthCare designs anesthesia solutions to support care that can think one step ahead. The Aisys™ CS2 Anesthesia Delivery System can use End-tidal Control software to enhance perioperative care. Additionally, the American Medical Association recently approved a new Category III CPT code to help facilities track patient outcomes associated with the use of End-tidal Control software, in addition to its other benefits.