We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
QUANTIFYING THE IMPACT OF SUSTAINED ACCELERATION ON CRITICAL CARE TRANSPORT MEDICAL EQUIPMENT.
- Authors
Nowadly, Craig; Freeman, David; Kerns, Zachary; Valladares, Romana; Hegedus, Joseph; Beer, Jeremy
- Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Military and commercial stakeholders are investing to explore the use of hypersonic aircraft and orbital spacecraft to transport cargo, medical supplies, passengers, and casualties. These vehicle platforms require periods of sustained acceleration and deceleration, but to date, these dynamic forces have not been comprehensively considered in the environment of critical care patient movement because injured patients and advanced aeromedical equipment (AE) are rarely subjected to sustained acceleration. While military AE does undergo Crash Hazard Acceleration Testing, this does not test equipment function during or after sustained acceleration. This study was performed to fill that knowledge gap. METHODS: AE currently used by the US Air Force AE and Critical Care Air Transport Teams (ZOLL EMV+® 731 ventilator, ZOLL Propaq® MD cardiac monitor, B Braun Infusomat® Intravenous Pump) was subjected to low (2.5g), moderate (4.5g), and variable acceleration for 3-minute periods at the KBR Brooks Centrifuge. AE was tested for function in three different orientations (gX, gY, gZ). Pre-determined variations were made in equipment input settings to ensure each equipment item would function across mission relevant conditions (differing ventilator tidal volumes, differing cardiac monitor arterial pressure inputs, etc.). AE was evaluated for accuracy compared to controlled inputs, alarm conditions, and equipment failure. RESULTS: The EMV+® 731 ventilator and Propaq® MD cardiac monitor had no equipment failures during testing. The ventilator had clinically negligible variations in tidal volume, peak pressure, and fraction of inspired oxygen during acceleration. At the highest tidal volume (480 mL) tested, the ventilator had peak pressure alarms at both 2.5g and 4.5g. However, this was due to limitations in test-lung resistance and was not related to a ventilator fault. Mild effects of sensor orientation were recorded in the Propaq® MD blood pressure results; for example, average differences of +4.9 ±0.3 mmHg (75 mmHg input) were recorded in 4.5gX, compared to -0.9 ±2.6 mmHg (75 mmHg input) recorded in 4.5gZ. DISCUSSION: US Air Force AE critical care equipment had detectable impacts from sustained acceleration. This knowledge will facilitate immediate follow-on experimentation with advanced models of combat injury during simulated medical evacuation in sustained acceleration environments. Learning Objectives 1. Understand the impacts of sustained acceleration on a US Air Force Critical Care Air transport team ventilator's function. 2. Understand the impacts of sustained acceleration on a US Air Force Critical Care Air transport team cardiac monitor's function. 3. Understand the impacts of sustained acceleration on a US Air Force Critical Care Air transport team intravenous pump's function.
- Subjects
UNITED States. Air Force; ACCELERATION (Mechanics); MEDICAL equipment; CRITICAL care medicine; HYPERSONIC planes; AIR travel; AIR freight
- Publication
Aerospace Medicine & Human Performance, 2024, Vol 95, Issue 8, p566
- ISSN
2375-6314
- Publication type
Article