Clinical Research Directory

Pulmonary Function by Litter Position

A litter is often needed to extract a person from an austere environment like the wilderness or from confined, urban spaces. A horizontal litter is generally assumed to be better for patient care, but often makes for a more difficult, if not impossible, evacuation from some settings such as confined space rescue, cave rescue, or wilderness rescue when the litter must be moved up or down a cliff with an undercut edge. A litter in a vertical orientation is easier to move in these situations, which may expedite movement towards definitive care. In some wilderness rescue circles, the mantra is that movement IS definitive care. It is already known that lying flat on the ground negatively affects pulmonary function compared to a sitting baseline.1 It is possible that a vertically oriented litter is better for a subset of patients with respiratory issues than a horizontal litter. The investigators hypothesize that pulmonary function measured by FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC, is better in simulated patients in a vertically oriented litter compared to a horizontally oriented one.

Prehospital Use of Forced Air Warming

Forced air warming may be a feasible strategy for prehospital rewarming of patients with accidental hypothermia. This pilot study will explore the feasibility of this technique which has not been studied outside of hospital.

Clinical Evaluation of Effectiveness of the "Therm'Up" Heating Device

Here's a concise summary in English without the numbers: Hypothermia is defined as a core temperature below 35°C and occurs when the body loses more heat than it produces. It is classified by severity: mild (32-35°C), moderate (28-32°C), and severe (\<28°C). Trauma patients are particularly vulnerable, as hypothermia can affect cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and coagulation systems, contributing to the "lethal triad" of metabolic acidosis, coagulopathy, and hypothermia, which increases early mortality risk. Shivering, a key sign of hypothermia, significantly raises oxygen consumption, making its prevention during prehospital care critical. Passive warming measures, such as insulating survival blankets, are commonly used to prevent heat loss in emergencies. These blankets help maintain body temperature, protecting victims from cold and wind. Hypothermia prevalence among trauma patients on hospital arrival is high, emphasizing the importance of prehospital measures to limit its impact. However, active warming systems are often impractical in prehospital settings, leaving passive methods as the primary strategy.