Evaluation of a Pneumatic Vest to Treat Symptoms of ARDS Caused by COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Ambrose ◽  
Joshua Detelich ◽  
Maxwell Weinmann ◽  
Frank L. Hammond

Abstract Critical care patients who experience symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome are commonly placed on mechanical ventilators to increase the oxygen provided to their pulmonary systems and monitor their condition. With the pulmonary inflammation typically accompanying ARDS, patients can experience lower ventilation-perfusion ratios resulting in lower blood oxygenation. In these cases, patients are typically rotated into a prone position to facilitate improved blood flow to portions of the lung that were not previously participating in the gas exchange process. However, proning a patient increases the risk of complications, requires up to seven hospital staff members to carry out, and does not guarantee an improvement in the patient's condition. The low-cost vest presented here was designed to reproduce the effects of proning while also requiring less hospital staff than the proning process. Additionally, the V/Q Vest helps hospital staff predict whether patients would respond well to a proning treatment. A pilot study was conducted on nine patients with ARDS from Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The average increase in oxygenation with the V/Q Vest treatment for all patients was 19.7 ± 38.1%. Six of the nine patients responded positively to the V/Q Vest treatment, exhibiting increased oxygenation. The V/Q Vest also helped hospital staff predict that three of the five patients that were proned would experience an increase in oxygenation. An increase in oxygenation resulting from V/Q Vest treatment exceeded that of the proning treatment in two of these five proned patients.

2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 1083-1089
Author(s):  
CAIO ARAUJO DAMASCENO ◽  
AYLSON LOPES LEAL ◽  
GABRYEL FIGUEIREDO SOARES ◽  
GUSTAVO RETUCI PINHEIRO ◽  
LUAN DA SILVA BEZERRA ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 146808742110366
Author(s):  
Fukang Ma ◽  
Wei Yang ◽  
Yifang Wang ◽  
Junfeng Xu ◽  
Yufeng Li

The scavenging process of two stroke engine includes free exhaust, scavenging, and post intake process, which clears the burned gas in cylinder and suctions the fresh air for next cycle. The gas exchange process of Opposed-Piston Two-Stroke (OP2S) engine with gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine is a uniflow scavenging method between intake port and exhaust port. In order to investigate the characteristics of the gas exchange process in OP2S-GDI engine, a specific tracer gas method (TGM) was developed and the experiments were carried out to analyze the gas exchange performance under different intake and exhaust conditions and opposed-piston movement rule. The results show that gas exchange performance and trapped gas mass are significantly influenced by intake pressure and exhaust pressure. And it has a positive effect on the scavenging efficiency and the trapped air mass. Scavenging efficiency and trapped air mass are almost independent of pressure drop when the delivery ratio exceeds 1.4. Consequently, the delivery ratio ranges from 0.5 to 1.4 is chosen to achieve an optimization of steady running and minimum pump loss. The opposed piston motion phase difference only affects the scavenging timing. Scavenging performance is mainly influenced by scavenging timing and scavenging duration. With the increased phase difference of piston motion, the scavenging efficiency and delivery ratio increased gradually, the trapping efficiency would increase first and decrease then and reaches its maximum at 14°CA.


1986 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 312-316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith Krasinski ◽  
Robert S. Holzman ◽  
Rita LaCouture ◽  
Alfred Florman

AbstractVaricella-zoster virus (VZV), one of the most common highly communicable agents of disease, stimulates aggressive infection control measures. In a 1-year period, at one hospital, at least 93 inpatients (82 adult patients, 11 pediatric patients) and 2 hospital staff with active varicella-zoster infections served as potential sources of nosocomial infection. Six incidents of exposure to the virus that occurred without the protection of standard infection control precautions were investigated by the infection control surveillance team. One hundred fifty-six patients and 353 hospital staff were exposed. Fifty-one patients had no history of varicella-zoster infection, but only five were susceptible by serologic testing. One hundred one staff members had no history of varicella-zoster, but only 11 were susceptible by serologic testing. These exposures resulted in three secondary varicella-zoster infections, six courses of varicella-zoster immune globulin prophylaxis and furlough of 13 staff members. Epidemiologic investigation consumed approximately 356 hours of staff time, and management of exposed persons cost approximately $41,500. Prospective knowledge of the immune status of health care workers would vastly decrease the time and effort required to control hospital VZV exposures.


Author(s):  
Karla Stricker ◽  
Lyle Kocher ◽  
Ed Koeberlein ◽  
D. G. Van Alstine ◽  
Greg Shaver

The gas exchange process in a modern diesel engine is generally modeled using manufacturer-provided performance maps that describe mass flows through, and efficiencies of, the turbine and compressor. These maps are typically implemented as look-up tables requiring multiple interpolations based on pressure ratios across the turbine and compressor, as well as the turbocharger shaft speed. In the case of variable-geometry turbochargers, the nozzle position is also an input to these maps. This method of interpolating or extrapolating data is undesirable when modeling for estimation and control, and though there have been several previous efforts to reduce dependence on turbomachinery maps, many of these approaches are complex and not easily implemented in engine control systems. As such, the aim of this paper is to reduce turbocharger maps to analytical functions for models amenable to estimation and control.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1963 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 899-902
Author(s):  
Fowler V. Harper

THE PROBLEM of physical and mental injuries inflicted on infants and small children has increasingly attracted the attention of physicians and welfare workers within the past few years. A bibliography prepared by the Children's Bureau in August of last year compiled a substantial number of scholarly articles in scientific journals dealing with abused children. Careful case studies reveal the seriousness of the problem, and several surveys, its extent. What informed persons have suspected and what many doctors and social workers have believed, has been demonstrated, viz., that parents too often are their children's worst enemies. It may be because one or more parent is psychotic, of extremely low intelligence, of uncontrollable temper, or was himself an abused child with serious psychiatric after-effects. The assumption that, generally, a child is "better off" in the home, surrounded by the loving care of his parents is no doubt sound enough, but the exceptions are sufficiently numerous to warrant more attention by appropriate agencies and professional individuals, public and private, than they have received. The Children's Bureau held two conferences devoted to this matter during the year 1962. Participants included well-qualified pediatricians, social workers, psychiatrists, lawyers, judges, juvenile court staff personnel, administrative and professional hospital staff members, and others concerned with child health and welfare. There was general agreement that the physician is perhaps the first person who will obtain knowledge of a situation involving inflicted injuries on a child, that he should report his findings to an appropriate investigating authority for further action, and that state legislation is necessary to impose a legal obligation on the physician in this regard.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Yuko Yanai ◽  
Reiko Ando Makihara ◽  
Naoko Matsunaga ◽  
Rieko Shimizu ◽  
Sayaka Tominaga ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives The purpose of this feasibility study was to examine the impacts of a peer discussion group intervention called “the pancreatobiliary cancer salon” on psychological distress among patients with pancreatobiliary cancer and their caregivers. Methods We recruited patients with pancreatic or biliary tract cancer and their caregivers. We conducted a within-group pre–post comparison study. Participants were grouped by the type of cancer and treatment. Each group consisted of four to five patients or caregivers. Hospital staff members facilitated group discussions where participants freely talked for 1 h. We evaluated participants’ psychological condition using the Profile of Mood States (POMS) and their impressions of the pancreatobiliary cancer salon. Results We analyzed data from 42 patients and 27 caregivers who joined the salon for the first time. Thirty-five patients (83.3%) had pancreatic cancer. Thirty-one patients (71.4%) had unresectable pancreatobiliary cancer and 14 patients (33.3%) were being treated with second-line or third-line chemotherapy at the time of the survey. Twenty-two patients (52.4%) participated in the salon within 6 months after diagnosis. Most participating caregivers were the patient's spouse/partner (51.9%) or child (34.6%). Both patients and caregivers experienced high levels of satisfaction with the pancreatobiliary cancer salon. Both patients and caregivers had significantly lower psychological distress as assessed by POMS after the salon. Significance of results A peer discussion group intervention might be well-received and has potential to benefit for patients with pancreatobiliary cancer and their caregivers.


2006 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 85-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody Dawson ◽  
John J. M. Dwyer ◽  
Susan Evers ◽  
Judy Sheeshka

Purpose: The nutrition component of the Eat Smart! Workplace Cafeteria Program (ESWCP) in a hospital was evaluated. We assessed staff’s frequency of visits to and purchases in the hospital cafeteria, attitudes about the program, short-term eating behaviour change, and suggestions to improve the ESWCP. Methods: Questionnaires were sent to hospital staff members who were not on leave (n=504). Dillman’s Tailored Design Method was used to design and implement the survey. Four mail-outs were used and yielded a 51% response rate. Results: Eighty-seven percent of respondents visited the hospital cafeteria at least once a week in an average seven-day week, and 69% purchased one to five meals or snacks there each week. Eighty-six percent of respondents said that they were aware of the hospital’s program. Notices on cafeteria tables were the primary method of learning about the program (67%). Reported program benefits included increased knowledge about healthy eating, convenience of having healthy foods in the cafeteria, and increased energy. Conclusion: Many respondents were aware of the program, provided positive comments about it, and reported positive changes in eating habits. However, future observational research is warranted to note foods served and sold before and after program implementation, as well as to examine whether results can be generalized to other settings.


1962 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julius Roth

Why do patients leave the hospital against medical advice? is a question often asked by tuberculosis hospital staff members and by social workers and social scientists interested in the TB hospital. But we might also ask (and should first ask): Why do patients stay in the hospital?


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