European Markets for Critical Care Patient Monitoring 2009

The European market for critical care patient monitoring products has long been mature, dominated by acute care vital signs monitors, pulmonary artery catheterization, and intracranial pressure monitoring used in critical care units on very high-risk patients. Hospital cost pressures forcing remote monitoring of high- and intermediate-risk patients in step-down and medical-surgical units has opened new growth opportunities for these markets--particularly in intermediate and subacute care vital signs, minimally invasive hemodynamic monitoring, and advanced neurological monitoring. Continuing advances in treatment options for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in neonates is also spurring growth in the use of electroencephalography (EEG) in neonatal intensive care units. Despite economic instability in 2008 and 2009, the market will be relatively resilient due to the devices' capability of reducing pressures caused by staff shortages and insufficient intensive care bed volumes.