IntroductionProtective ventilatory strategies have been applied to prevent ventilator-induced lung injury in patients with acute lung injury (ALI). However, adjustment of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to avoid alveolar de-recruitment and hyperinflation remains difficult. An alternative is to set the PEEP based on minimizing respiratory system elastance (Ers) by titrating PEEP. In the present study we evaluate the distribution of lung aeration (assessed using computed tomography scanning) and the behaviour of Ers in a porcine model of ALI, during a descending PEEP titration manoeuvre with a protective low tidal volume.MethodsPEEP titration (from 26 to 0 cmH2O, with a tidal volume of 6 to 7 ml/kg) was performed, following a recruitment manoeuvre. At each PEEP, helical computed tomography scans of juxta-diaphragmatic parts of the lower lobes were obtained during end-expiratory and end-inspiratory pauses in six piglets with ALI induced by oleic acid. The distribution of the lung compartments (hyperinflated, normally aerated, poorly aerated and non-aerated areas) was determined and the Ers was estimated on a breath-by-breath basis from the equation of motion of the respiratory system using the least-squares method.ResultsProgressive reduction in PEEP from 26 cmH2O to the PEEP at which the minimum Ers was observed improved poorly aerated areas, with a proportional reduction in hyperinflated areas. Also, the distribution of normally aerated areas remained steady over this interval, with no changes in non-aerated areas. The PEEP at which minimal Ers occurred corresponded to the greatest amount of normally aerated areas, with lesser hyperinflated, and poorly and non-aerated areas. Levels of PEEP below that at which minimal Ers was observed increased poorly and non-aerated areas, with concomitant reductions in normally inflated and hyperinflated areas.ConclusionThe PEEP at which minimal Ers occurred, obtained by descending PEEP titration with a protective low tidal volume, corresponded to the greatest amount of normally aerated areas, with lesser collapsed and hyperinflated areas. The institution of high levels of PEEP reduced poorly aerated areas but enlarged hyperinflated ones. Reduction in PEEP consistently enhanced poorly or non-aerated areas as well as tidal re-aeration. Hence, monitoring respiratory mechanics during a PEEP titration procedure may be a useful adjunct to optimize lung aeration.

The present study analyzes parameters estimated by bioelectric impedance spectroscopy (BIS) in subjects with healthy and with osteoarthritis (OA) knees. Thirty-two male volunteers, members of the Parachute Military Infantry Brigade of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, participated in the study (62 knee joints). Clinical specialists used the Dejour scale for OA classification and divided the subjects into a control (without OA) and a pathological group (with different degrees of OA). BIS data were obtained in a standing position using a BIS technique based on the current response to a step voltage excitation. Differences between groups were measured by means of a Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test. Results indicate that raw bioimpedance parameters seem to be sensitive to the physiological changes associated with OA. Thus, data indicate that extra-cellular resistance (Re) and reactance of the equivalent capacitance (Xcx) increase according to the disease intensity (p < 0.001). In conclusion, the BIS technique seems to be able to provide the objective and non-invasive basis for helping the diagnosis of knee OA.

Although the use of 5% vaporized perfluorohexane permitted the authors to reduce pressures needed to stabilize the lungs and was associated with better histologic findings than were PLV and GV, none of these perfluorocarbon therapies improved gas exchange or lung mechanics as compared with GV.

Introduction Atelectasis and distal airway closure are common clinical entities of general anaesthesia. These two phenomena are expected to reduce the ventilation of dependent lung regions and represent major causes of arterial oxygenation impairment in anaesthetic conditions. The behaviour of the elastance of the respiratory system (E rs ), as well as the lung aeration assessed by computed tomography (CT) scan, was evaluated during a descendent positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) titration. This work sought to evaluate the potential usefulness of E rs monitoring to set the PEEP in order to prevent tidal recruitment and hyperinflation of healthy lungs under general anaesthesia.

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A multivariable deterministic extremum seeking (ES) is being evaluated to construct an adaptive Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control law for the functional Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES) of stroke patients. The developed scheme is applied to control the position of the patient's arm so that movements of flexion/extension for its elbow can be produced. The true limitations of a PID controller for these types of applications is that a PID controller is designed for linear systems, but the system which is being controlled is nonlinear. Moreover, it is worth mention that clinicians' knowledge of control systems is limited. Therefore, their expertise in tuning controllers is limited. Also, in NMES applications each patient is unique and requires a unique set of PID parameters. Since it can be time consuming and difficult to find proper parameters for each patient, a better procedure, or a more intelligent adaptive controller, is needed. The PID parameters are updated by means of ES in order to minimize a cost function which brings the desired performance attributes. Experiments are performed with healthy volunteers and stroke patients, including significant advances based on real data and validation. Quantitative results show a reduction of 64.1% in terms of RMSE (Root-Mean-Square Error)-from 8.94 • to 3.21 •-when comparing the tracking curves of the last cycle to the first cycle in the experiments with all stroke patients.

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