Oct. 26, 2009 (PR Newswire) -- BALTIMORE, Oct. 26, 2009 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Concerns are rising over the continuing spread of H1N1 flu and Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI) is working to help hospital administrators manage the ensuing surge capacity demand. The Philips VISICU eICU® Program and its portable eCareMobile solution can reduce staff exposure and help hospitals manage surge demand associated with an H1N1 outbreak.

The eCareMobile solution was developed by Philips VISICU as a mobile extension of their popular eICU Program, bringing the expertise of centralized intensivists to patients wherever it may be needed. Using advanced onboard audio and video capabilities connected to a dedicated eICU team of specialists, the eCareMobile system facilitates effective emergency response and management of surge capacity demand for pandemics like H1N1 flu, as well as mass casualty events.

According to Brian Rosenfeld, M.D., chief medical officer for Philips VISICU, "With the SARS pandemic in Toronto, the second wave of patients were primarily doctors and nurses. The entire Province of Ontario was functionally shut down, from a critical care standpoint, by the 240 cases. Remote ICU care using the eCareMobile system provides an alternative method for dealing with surge capacity demand while minimizing exposure of critical care specialists to infected patients."

A recent survey of 190 U.S. healthcare facilities, conducted by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, reports that many hospitals are not ready for the H1N1 flu:

--  More than 25 percent have inadequate isolation for H1N1 flu patients.
--  15 percent have no access to proper respirator masks, exposing nurses
and patients to potential H1N1 infection.
--  40 percent expect to re-use masks, against Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention guidelines.

--  18 percent report nurses having become infected; one California nurse
has already died from the H1N1 flu.

The Philips VISICU eICU Program, in conjunction with the eCareMobile solution, provided support during a full-scale emergency drill on September 26 that included eighteen hospitals and emergency departments, along with hundreds of police officers, fire and rescue personnel, the FBI, FEMA, Homeland Security, hospital workers, community representatives, and volunteers from the Washington, DC region.

The drill demonstrated how advanced telemedicine programs, like the Philips VISICU eICU Program, can facilitate more effective management of surge capacity demand by isolating and centralizing scarce medical resources away from the source of viruses and/or dangerous conditions.