[Fwd: mproved respirator conserves lungs]

Eric Olson (oly(AT)execpc.com)
Fri, 15 May 1998 17:48:22 -0500

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
--------------F39557EA772EB1C1940DD31F
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit

--------------F39557EA772EB1C1940DD31F
Content-Type: message/rfc822
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Content-Disposition: inline

Received: from a.mx.execpc.com (a.mx.execpc.com [169.207.1.17])
by core1.mx.execpc.com (8.8.8) with ESMTP id XAA16920;
Wed, 13 May 1998 23:16:43 -0500 (CDT)
Return-Path: <quad-list-request(AT)eskimo.com>
Received: from mx1.eskimo.com (smartlst(AT)mx1.eskimo.com [204.122.16.48])
by a.mx.execpc.com (8.8.8) with ESMTP id XAA13791;
Wed, 13 May 1998 23:16:50 -0500 (CDT)
Received: (from smartlst(AT)localhost)
by mx1.eskimo.com (8.8.8/8.8.8) id VAA18188;
Wed, 13 May 1998 21:16:13 -0700
Resent-Date: Wed, 13 May 1998 21:16:13 -0700
Message-ID: <355A7081.4910E1F(AT)odyssee.net>
Date: Thu, 14 May 1998 00:18:10 -0400
From: Maxim Bily <imax(AT)odyssee.net>
X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.04 [en] (Win95; I)
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: Spinal Cord Injury <quad-list(AT)eskimo.com>,
Spinal Cord Injury Peer Net <scipin-l(AT)health.state.ny.us>
Subject: mproved respirator conserves lungs
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=koi8-r
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Resent-Message-ID: <"W62Ho2.0.6S4.C0dMr"(AT)mx1>
Resent-From: quad-list(AT)eskimo.com
X-Mailing-List: <quad-list(AT)eskimo.com> archive/latest/4561
X-Loop: quad-list(AT)eskimo.com
Precedence: list
Resent-Sender: quad-list-request(AT)eskimo.com

Improved respirator conserves lungs

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Mechanical ventilators can be
essential life-support for critically ill patients with
compromised respiratory systems. However, experts warn
that lung tissue can suffer permanent damage during
long-term ventilator use. Now, scientists believe they have
developed a means of reducing that level of damage.

The new design "could have a significant effect on
morbidity by breaking the chain of injury propagation in
acute lung injury," concludes an international team of
researchers led by investigators at Boston University in
Massachusetts. Their report appears in the May 14th issue
of the journal Nature.

Conventional mechanical ventilators mimic human
respiration, but in an unvarying, repetitious manner. "The
respiratory rate and volume of air inspired (drawn into the
lungs) per breath are fixed," the researchers explain,
"although during natural breathing these parameters vary
appreciably."

They say the regimented rhythms of conventional
ventilator-driven breathing often leave certain peripheral
areas of the lung closed for long periods of time, triggering
the eventual collapse of these tissues.

However, the study authors report they have now devised
computer-controlled ventilation that contains random
variations within its programmed respiration pattern. This
enhanced breathing pattern closely resembles normal
variations in shallow/deep breathing found in healthy
respiration. The researchers believe their new ventilator
design means "fewer (peripheral) regions will remain
collapsed," reducing the level of lung tissue damage linked
to assisted breathing.

SOURCE: Nature (1998;393:127-128)

--
Maksim (Max) Bily


mail to: imax(AT)odyssee.net






--------------F39557EA772EB1C1940DD31F--