Comparison of virtual bronchoscopy to fiber-optic bronchoscopy for assessment of inhalation injury severity.

Purpose: Compare virtual bronchoscopy (VB) to fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) for scoring smoke inhalation injury (SII).

Methods: Swine underwent computerized tomography (CT) with VB and FOB before (0) and 24 and 48 h after SII. VB and FOB images were scored by 5 providers off line.

Comparison of airway pressure release ventilation to conventional mechanical ventilation in the early management of smoke inhalation injury in swine.

Objective: The role of airway pressure release ventilation in the management of early smoke inhalation injury has not been studied. We compared the effects of airway pressure release ventilation and conventional mechanical ventilation on oxygenation in a porcine model of acute respiratory distress syndrome induced by wood smoke inhalation.

Design: Prospective animal study.

Advanced monitoring and decision support for battlefield critical care environment.

Automation and decision support systems are vital for improving critical patient care in the battlefield environment. However, advances in data management, sensor fusion, and decision support algorithms must be developed and incorporated into existing patient monitoring systems for this technology to improve battlefield patient care. This paper examines issues related to research and development of advanced monitoring and decision support systems for use both on the battlefield and in the civilian trauma environment.

Lower interbreath interval complexity is associated with extubation failure in mechanically ventilated patients during spontaneous breathing trials.

Objective: To determine whether lower complexity of interbreath interval as measured with nonlinear analysis techniques will identify patients who fail to separate from mechanical ventilation after 30-minute spontaneous breathing trials (SBTs).

Methods: Respiratory waveforms from SBT of patients in surgical or burn intensive care units were recorded for later analysis. The decision to extubate was made by attending physician.