Clinical Research Directory

Positional Effects on Lung Ventilation and Perfusion in Obesity

Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive, bedside monitoring tool that provides real-time information on regional ventilation and perfusion. In particular, EIT has the potential to guide individualized mechanical ventilation in obese patients by revealing how gravitational and positional factors alter regional lung behavior. Assessing the effects of different horizontal positions on both ventilation and perfusion may help optimize respiratory management strategies tailored to body habitus. By comparing obese and non-obese healthy participants across different positions, this study aims to provide novel insights into the postural effects on lung aeration and perfusion distribution, and to highlight the role of EIT in tailoring individualized ventilation strategies.

Ventilator Pressure and Optimization of Compliance and Hemodynamics

In preterm infants \< 34 weeks' gestation at birth receiving respiratory support with invasive positive pressure ventilation, the positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) of best compliance will increase the cardiac output and improve oxygenation. This study may emphasize using point-of-care echocardiography along with electrical impedance tomography (EIT) to optimize ventilator settings in preterm infants. Infants will be randomized to a 4-hour crossover period of increasing and decreasing PEEP in random order from baseline to determine compliance, oxygenation, and cardiac hemodynamics at each step using echocardiography (ECHO) and EIT measurements. There will be a 15-minute washout period after changes prior to data collection.

Change in the Phase III Slope of the Volumetric Capnography by Prone Positioning in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

This study evaluates the effects of prone positioning on homogenization of ventilation.