Science & Technology
Science and Technology
Science and Technology 
Thu, February 5, 2009
CompuMed Inc.?s Exhibit at 2009 Masters of Pediatrics Conference Program Draws Attention to Cardiac Screening Programs for Chil
LOS ANGELES & MIAMI--([ BUSINESS WIRE ])--CompuMed, Inc. (OTCBB:CMPD) ([ www.compumed.net ]) unveiled its landmark CardioGramKids™ program at the 2009 Masters of Pediatrics Conference in Miami, sponsored by the highly respected University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. CardioGramKids is a national physician outreach program designed to provide electrocardiogram (ECG) screening services to children and adolescents prior to prescribing or taking psychotropic medications, including stimulants. Miller is the first to partner with CompuMed on the project.
According to Eugene R. Hershorin, M.D., Chief, Division of General Pediatrics, Director - Masters of Pediatrics, "This year's 18th annual Masters of Pediatrics Conference was again a rousing success and called by current and past pediatric leaders ‘the best academic pediatric conference in America.'" Dr. Hershorin added that the conference featured some of the most well known pediatric experts in America including Drs. Basil Zitelli, Joseph Zenel, Barbara Howard, Michael Pichichero, Steven Lipshultz and many others. It was attended by more than 600 pediatricians and other child health providers from more than 40 states and five foreign countries. Following the three-day general pediatric conference were four specialty conferences on Pediatric Cardiology, Development and Behavior, Infectious Diseases and Dermatology.
"CompuMed was delighted to serve as a benefactor for this important Pediatric Masters Conference," said Maurizio Vecchione, CompuMed's CEO. "We showcased our CardioGramKids program and provided information to attendees about the risk of developing or exacerbating potentially serious or life threatening cardiac conditions without prior ECG screenings."
CompuMed remotely interprets ECGs on pediatric patients in this first-of-its-kind program to detect heart abnormalities prior to psychotropic and stimulant drug therapy. Medical journals have long reported concerns regarding the appropriateness of such therapy without screening at risk patients. Acting on reports of sudden death in children and adolescents treated with stimulants and other psychotropic medications for conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, commonly referred to as ADHD, CompuMed's program dovetailed with the conference's mission, which is to provide pediatricians with the latest in contemporary and future pediatric knowledge.
According to Tommy Schechtman, MD, MS, FAAP, President, Pediatric Partners of Palm Beach Gardens, FL, who attended the conference, "This [CardioGramKids] will be a marked improvement in providing better care. It will enable the pediatrician to have the technology and decision making in the right place (exam room) at the right time with the expertise of the University of Miami to back us up."
Mr. Vecchione said today's 12-lead ECG machines are complex, and more than 400 diagnoses can be made from a single ECG. Interpreting ECGs without specialized training, especially in pediatric cardiology, could lead to potentially life-threatening misdiagnoses. Additionally computerized interpretations are not necessarily optimized for pediatric studies and in general have significant error rates.
"Physicians can screen their pediatric patients with the confidence that specialist pediatric cardiologists are providing the interpretations," Mr. Vecchione said. CompuMed will be rolling out a parental education campaign in the near future.
One of CompuMed's core products is the CardioGram™, which provides remote ECG interpretation terminals and related services to medical facilities that may not have access to physicians trained and qualified to interpret ECG results. Customers for the Company's CardioGram system are primarily institutions such as correctional facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, occupational health clinics and physician offices that do not typically have access to cardiologists on their premises. The CompuMed system significantly increases the diagnostic accuracy of ECG interpretations by providing its customers with interpretations by trained, board certified cardiologists, which are then transmitted to the point of care through telemedicine technologies.
There are about 300,000 specialists (pediatrics, primary care and psychiatry) in the U.S. likely to see patients who might need psychotropic drugs, including stimulants. According to a 2008 report in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, approximately 6.7 percent of children in the U.S. are taking these medications for emotional and behavioral problems like ADHD. CompuMed's CardioGramKids will enable physicians to screen the children in their care while at the same time offering doctors important protection from potential litigation.
For more information about CardioGramKids, visit [ www.CompuMed.net ].
About CompuMed
CompuMed, Inc. (OTCBB:CMPD) develops and markets products and services that combine telemedicine, medical informatics and advanced imaging. The CardioGram™ is one of the first telecommunication networks designed to remotely interpret electrocardiograms and is used by private practice, government and corporate healthcare providers nationwide. The OsteoGram® is a noninvasive diagnostic system that provides effective and accurate bone density measurement for screening for osteoporosis and assessing hip fracture risk. The OsteoGram has significant cost advantages over other technologies in the marketplace. The OsteoGram and CardioGram are cleared by the FDA and reimbursable by Medicare. CompuMed distributes its products worldwide both directly and through OEM partners. Visit CompuMed online at [ www.compumed.net ].
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