An exemplary limb-saving strategy from the Southern Philippines Medical Center

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of welcoming three highly respected clinicians from the Southern Philippines Medical Center (SPMC) to Perimed’s headquarters in Stockholm.

Dr. Benedict Valdez (Director of the Institute of Emergency Trauma and Critical Care), Dr. Jeffrey Ramos (Section head of the Center for Hyperbaric, Diving Medicine and Difficult wounds), and Dr. Johnny Perez (Vice Chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine).

The three physicians were in Stockholm for EMS 2025, the European Congress for pre-hospital emergency care — a three-day event that brings professionals from around the world together to exchange knowledge on emergency response and trauma care.

//Maltha Anatasha

The Southern Philippines Medical Center, located in the City of Davao, is one of the largest government hospitals in the country.

During their visit, we learned about SPMC’s exemplary approach to limb-saving and the protocol they have developed to prioritize patient outcomes and optimize workflow in the emergency and trauma unit.

In this post, you’ll get a glimpse into how they do it — and how they rely on our instruments to make it possible.

Like many other countries, the primary healthcare system in the Philippines is underdeveloped, unevenly distributed, and often bypassed due to limited access to resources and a lack of public trust. This places a significant burden on emergency and trauma departments, which are often the first and only point of care.

 Making PeriFlux 6000 at our facility in Stockholm

Dr. Valdez and Dr. Perez carry out the initial triage for trauma and chronic patients. Resuscitation is his primary concern, followed by surgery. He refers chronic and stabilized patients to Dr. Ramos for microvascular assessment and hyperbaric oxygen therapy for severe crush injuries and compartment syndrome.

Together, these long-term colleagues face an incredibly high patient load, dealing with everything from acute trauma to advanced chronic complications. Their ability to deliver care under these conditions is heartening.

When clinicians from different parts of the world share their experiences, everyone benefits. In addition to visiting Perimed, we arranged for the physicians to visit Karolinska University Hospital to observe how Sweden’s most prestigious hospital has integrated vascular assessment into its clinical processes.

PeriFlux 6000 in action at SPMC

The emergency department in SPMC serves as the first point of triage for patients with acute traumatic wounds. According to their protocol, the first step is toe pressure, skin perfusion pressure, and/or TcpO2. Hearing firsthand how our technology supports decision-making in trauma care — especially in such a high-pressure environment — was inspiring and humbling.

The SMPC was one of the first hospitals in the Philippines to adopt our microcirculation technology. About five years ago, they procured a PeriFlux 6000 TcpO2 Standalone and began using it to assess the microvascular condition of their patients. A couple of years later, they upgraded their instrument, adding pressure exams and, notably, skin perfusion pressure (SPP) to their portfolio.

Despite the workload and reimbursement challenges facing this team of doctors, their approach to vascular assessment and the limb-saving protocol they have developed is textbook perfect. So, I asked the question: What happens when you see a good TBI for patients with complications, such as diabetic foot?

Conducting an SPP exam with PeriFlux 6000

He went on to explain that he sees patients like this daily. He uses PeriFlux 6000 to conduct both TBI and microvascular tests. We had an interesting discussion about the widespread misconception about TBI being an indication of microcirculation, which they are trying to eradicate through their training programs and protocols.

Dr. Ramos is more of a fan of SPP than TcpO2 because he says it’s less technical and faster. He follows a protocol of TBI and then SPP, but for some patients, he also carries out TcpO2 to ensure he has a complete understanding of the patient’s condition.

The physicians are keen on keeping their instruments in tip-top condition, ensuring the measurements are accurate by following our maintenance guidelines. The local distributor in the Philippines (Medev) visits the hospital regularly to ensure that TcpO2 electrodes are correctly maintained and cleaned, checking accessories for signs of wear and tear, and performing any necessary calibration.

In my role as product manager for PeriFlux 6000, I serve as the central link between our customers’ clinical needs and the development of our technology. My role involves working cross-functionally with R&D, Marketing, Regulatory Affairs, Production, and the Executive Leadership to ensure that our instrument not only meets high technical and regulatory standards but also delivers clinical value.

I hold a Master’s degree in Bioentrepreneurship from the Karolinska Institute and a B.Sc. in Medical Technology from Swinburne University of Technology.