Studies in health technology and informatics
-
Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
Improving fiberoptic intubation with a novel tongue retraction device.
This study examined the utility of a novel tongue retractor created with a wider working blade and a more ergonomic curve to provide jaw lift and tongue management with one hand during intubation. Anesthesia providers participated in simulated intubation of a difficult manikin using the novel tongue retractor with the Bonfils video fiberscope. Results show that the tongue retractor improved placement success and was well received by the study participants.
-
Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
Impact of admission and discharge peak times on hospital overcrowding.
The ability of hospital staff to get a patient to the right bed at the right time is dependent on bed occupancy, and is a key issue in all acute hospitals. This paper seeks to identify the impact of admission and discharge timing on hospital occupancy with reference to the peak in daily admissions and discharges. ⋯ We found statistically significant differences in mean and peak occupancy and patient length of stay between categories (one-way univariate ANOVA p<0.0001). The results support early patient discharge initiatives to reduce hospital occupancy rates.
-
Stud Health Technol Inform · Jan 2011
The tool positioning tutor: a target-pose tracking and display system for learning correct placement of a medical device.
Safe and successful performance of medical procedures often requires the correct manual positioning of a tool. For example, during endotracheal intubation a laryngoscope is used to open a passage in the airway through which a breathing tube is inserted. During training it can be challenging for an experienced practitioner to effectively communicate to a novice the correct placement and orientation of a tool. ⋯ The system displays to the learner the fixed, target pose and a real-time display of the current, "live" laryngoscope position. Positional error metrics are displayed as color-coded visual cues to guide the user toward successful targeting of the reference position. This technique provides quantitative assessment of the degree to which a learner has matched a specified "expert" position with a tool, and is potentially applicable to a wide variety of tools and procedures.