Covidien plc
(
COV
), a global leader in medical devices and services, announced the
launch of its educational campaign for women, named '1 in 1,000.'
The objective of '1 in 1,000' is to increase awareness regarding
pregnancy-related blood clots. This was announced at the recently
concluded 2012 annual meeting of the Association of Women's Health,
Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN).
'1 in 1,000' refers to the probability of experiencing a
potentially fatal blood clot during pregnancy, delivery or
postpartum. Such a blood clot or venous thromboembolism (VTE) as it
is called in medical terminology, refers to the process of the
formation of the blood clot and its movement in the veins. VTE is
the collective term for deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary
embolism (PE).
As per research, the risk of developing a potentially life
threatening VTE is four to five times greater in pregnant women
relative to non-pregnant women. The likelihood of VTE onset
increases during delivery and the postpartum period.
The anatomical and physiological changes are responsible for the
increased risk, while a Cesarean delivery (C-section) almost
doubles that risk. Individual or family history of clotting
disorders, hypertension during pregnancy, age greater than 35,
smoking, race and obesity are other risk factors contributing to
VTE.
It is noteworthy that venous thromboembolism is one of the most
common causes of maternal mortality in developed countries.
Management asserts that the purpose of the educational campaign is
to prevent the onset of VTE by enhancing communication channels
between healthcare providers and patients. Increased awareness
about the severity and frequency of VTE, ongoing patient assessment
and preventative intervention might help in reducing the
probability of VTE and thereby save lives.
Experts believe that the higher risk of VTE during pregnancy and
peripartum period calls for consideration and preventative
intervention. The '1 in 1,000' campaign has been designed after
deliberate thought and consultation with leading women's health
experts. It plans to empower healthcare professionals to take
appropriate action on occurrence of VTE.
The educational campaign includes guidelines and materials to
educate pregnant women on the incidence as well as risk assessment
of VTE. It encompasses prevention protocols at hospitals and
healthcare systems.
Covidien is an international medical technology major with a
history of developing high-quality products in a cost-effective
manner. It competes with
Johnson & Johnson
(
JNJ
),
Becton Dickinson
(
BDX
) and
C.R. Bard
(
BCR
), among others.
However, sustained pricing/procedure volume pressure represents
a headwind. The stock currently retains a Zacks #3 Rank, which
translates into a short-term Hold rating. This is in agreement with
our long-term Neutral recommendation.
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