26 research outputs found

    Gazing in the future through the eyes of youth [first line of chorus]

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    Performers: Clara Kimball YoungPiano and Voice (with lyrics

    Automated expiratory ventilation assistance through a small endotracheal tube can improve venous return and cardiac output

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    Abstract Background Positive pressure ventilation can decrease venous return and cardiac output. It is not known if expiratory ventilation assistance (EVA) through a small endotracheal tube can improve venous return and cardiac output. Results In a porcine model, switching from conventional positive pressure ventilation to (EVA) with − 8 cmH20 expiratory pressure increased the venous return and cardiac output. The stroke volume increased by 27% when the subjects were switched from conventional ventilation to EVA [53.8 ± 7.7 (SD) vs. 68.1 ± 7.7 ml, p = 0.003]. After hemorrhage, subjects treated with EVA had higher median cardiac output, higher mean systemic arterial pressure, and lower central venous pressure at 40 and 60 min when compared with subjects treated with conventional ventilation with PEEP 0 cmH20. The median cardiac output was 41% higher in the EVA group than the control group at 60 min [2.70 vs. 1.59 L/min, p = 0.029]. Conclusion EVA through a small endotracheal tube increased venous return, cardiac output, and mean arterial pressure compared with conventional positive pressure ventilation. The effects were most significant during hypovolemia from hemorrhage. EVA provided less effective ventilation than conventional positive pressure ventilation

    Novel AI-Based Algorithm for the Automated Computation of Coronal Parameters in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Patients

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    Study design: Retrospective, mono-centric cohort research study. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to validate a novel artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm against human-generated ground truth for radiographic parameters of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Methods: An AI-algorithm was developed that is capable of detecting anatomical structures of interest (clavicles, cervical, thoracic, lumbar spine and sacrum) and calculate essential radiographic parameters in AP spine X-rays fully automatically. The evaluated parameters included T1-tilt, clavicle angle (CA), coronal balance (CB), lumbar modifier, and Cobb angles in the proximal thoracic (C-PT), thoracic, and thoracolumbar regions. Measurements from 2 experienced physicians on 100 preoperative AP full spine X-rays of AIS patients were used as ground truth and to evaluate inter-rater and intra-rater reliability. The agreement between human raters and AI was compared by means of single measure Intra-class Correlation Coefficients (ICC; absolute agreement; .75 rated as excellent), mean error and additional statistical metrics. Results: The comparison between human raters resulted in excellent ICC values for intra- (range: .97-1) and inter-rater (.85-.99) reliability. The algorithm was able to determine all parameters in 100% of images with excellent ICC values (.78-.98). Consistently with the human raters, ICC values were typically smallest for C-PT (eg, rater 1A vs AI: .78, mean error: 4.7°) and largest for CB (.96, -.5 mm) as well as CA (.98, .2°). Conclusions: The AI-algorithm shows excellent reliability and agreement with human raters for coronal parameters in preoperative full spine images. The reliability and speed offered by the AI-algorithm could contribute to the efficient analysis of large datasets (eg, registry studies) and measurements in clinical practice

    Comparison of 4D Flow MRI to 2D Flow MRI in the pulmonary arteries in healthy volunteers and patients with pulmonary hypertension.

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    PURPOSE:4D and 2D phase-contrast MRI (2D Flow MRI, 4D Flow MRI, respectively) are increasingly being used to noninvasively assess pulmonary hypertension (PH). The goals of this study were i) to evaluate whether established quantitative parameters in 2D Flow MRI associated with pulmonary hypertension can be assessed using 4D Flow MRI; ii) to compare results from 4D Flow MRI on a digital broadband 3T MR system with data from clinically established MRI-techniques as well as conservation of mass analysis and phantom correction and iii) to elaborate on the added value of secondary flow patterns in detecting PH. METHODS:11 patients with PH (4f, 63 ± 16y), 15 age-matched healthy volunteers (9f, 56 ± 11y), and 20 young healthy volunteers (13f, 23 ± 2y) were scanned on a 3T MR scanner (Philips Ingenia). Subjects were examined with a 4D Flow, a 2D Flow and a bSSFP sequence. For extrinsic comparison, quantitative parameters measured with 4D Flow MRI were compared to i) a static phantom, ii) 2D Flow acquisitions and iii) stroke volume derived from a bSSFP sequence. For intrinsic comparison conservation of mass-analysis was employed. Dedicated software was used to extract various flow, velocity, and anatomical parameters. Visualization of blood flow was performed to detect secondary flow patterns. RESULTS:Overall, there was good agreement between all techniques, 4D Flow results revealed a considerable spread. Data improved after phantom correction. Both 4D and 2D Flow MRI revealed concordant results to differentiate patients from healthy individuals, especially based on values derived from anatomical parameters. The visualization of a vortex, indicating the presence of PH was achieved in 9 /11 patients and 2/35 volunteers. DISCUSSION:This study confirms that quantitative parameters used for characterizing pulmonary hypertension can be gathered using 4D Flow MRI within clinically reasonable limits of agreement. Despite its unfavorable spatial and lesser temporal resolution and a non-neglible spread of results, the identification of diseased study participants was possible

    Rapidly Improving ARDS in Therapeutic Randomized Controlled Trials

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    BACKGROUND: Observational studies suggest that some patients meeting criteria for ARDS no longer fulfill the oxygenation criterion early in the course of their illness. This subphenotype of rapidly improving ARDS has not been well characterized. We attempted to assess the prevalence, characteristics, and outcomes of rapidly improving ARDS and to identify which variables are useful to predict it. METHOD: A secondary analysis was performed of patient level data from six ARDS Network randomized controlled trials. We defined rapidly improving ARDS, contrasted with ARDS > 1 day, as extubation or a PaO2 to FiO(2) ratio (PaO2:FiO(2)) > 300 on the first study day following enrollment. RESULTS: The prevalence of rapidly improving ARDS was 10.5% (458 of 4,361 patients) and increased over time. Of the 1,909 patients enrolled in the three most recently published trials, 197 (10.3%) were extubated on the first study day, and 265 (13.9%) in total had rapidly improving ARDS. Patients with rapidly improving ARDS had lower baseline severity of illness and lower 60-day mortality (10.2% vs 26.3%; P < .0001) than ARDS > 1 day. PaO2:FiO(2) at screening, change in PaO2:FiO(2) from screening to enrollment, use of vasopressor agents, FiO(2) at enrollment, and serum bilirubin levels were useful predictive variables. CONCLUSIONS: Rapidly improving ARDS, mostly defined by early extubation, is an increasingly prevalent and distinct subphenotype, associated with better outcomes than ARDS > 1 day. Enrollment of patients with rapidly improving ARDS may negatively affect the prognostic enrichment and contribute to the failure of therapeutic trials
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