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BackgroundEducation and employment established in young adulthood predict future lifetime socioeconomic achievements. Young adults with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) have physical, cognitive and mental health issues and other comorbidities that may impact employment.ObjectivesTo understand the lived experiences of young adults with SLE (YASLE), as students, and to assess their perceived barriers from SLE.MethodsYASLE were recruited from two Lupus clinics in Toronto and Winnipeg. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted individually via secure video conferencing. As this study was conducted during the coronavirus pandemic, participants were also asked about the pandemic impacts on their education experiences. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, double-coded and analysed using a reflexive thematic approach.ResultsTwelve participants (2 males), 9 of childhood- and 3 adult-onset SLE (cSLE, aSLE) were interviewed. Nine participants (82%) were <25 years old. Five also worked while studying. Five were Asians, 5 were White, 2 of other ethnicities. Half have severe disease (central nervous system or renal involvement). Median duration of disease was 4.0 (25th-75th percentile, 1.8- 5.3) years. The impacts of SLE on their education experience emerged in 5 themes:1) Challenges imposed by SLE: Difficulties adjusting to the diagnosis, physical and cognitive symptoms of SLE. While most participants disclosed their diagnosis to their schools, some expressed hesitation.2) Changes in aspirations: Education/career goals were modified by reducing course load or shifting to more sedentary or less cognitively demanding careers.3) Coping and acceptance: More adaptive than maladaptive coping strategies were used to manage their SLE, including self-acceptance, pacing, planning and avoidance. All strived to do well in their studies despite SLE and were hopeful for their futures.4) Facilitating factors for education success: Family and friends' social support, individualized accommodations from school and parental financial support were identified.5) Pandemic impacts: Virtual learning and flexible schedules enabled participants to adapt their schedules according to their physical conditions (e.g. pain, fatigue). However, fewer opportunities to interact in-person were viewed as challenges. Participants want hybrid options to continue even after the pandemic.ConclusionSLE affected students' performance through physical symptoms, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction. Ongoing social and school supports help to support them. Maintaining the remote learning options may increase accessibility for them. These results identified opportunities for developing future supportive interventions for YASLE patients in their schooling which then better prepare them for future employment.References[1]Jetha A, Badley E, Beaton D, Fortin PR, Shiff NJ, Gignac MA. Unpacking early work experiences of young adults with rheumatic disease: an examination of absenteeism, job disruptions, and productivity loss. Arthritis care & research. 2015;67:1246-54.[2]E. F Lawson, A. O. Hersh, L. Trupin, E. von Scheven, M. J. Okumura, J. Yazdany, et al. Educational and vocational outcomes of adults with childhood and adult onset systemic lupus erythematosus: nine years of follow-up. Arthritis Care Res 2014;66: 717-24.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsMike Golding: None declared, Fareha Nishat: None declared, Kaitlyn Merrill: None declared, Ramandeep Kaur: None declared, Jennifer Stinson: None declared, Jennifer Protudjer Speakers bureau: Nutricia (Food allergy university, Nov 2022), Consultant of: Novartis 2021, allergy products, Roberta Woodgate: None declared, Christine Peschken: None declared, Diane Lacaille: None declared, Umut Oguzoglo: None declared, Zahi Touma: None declared, Lily Lim Speakers bureau: Pfizer Feb 2023. Not drug related and not related to this .
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Background: Patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with adjuvant vinorelbine-platinum chemotherapy experience neutropenia, which may lead to early termination of treatment. However, evidence suggests that survival is superior in patients who complete four cycles of chemotherapy [1]. Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (GCSF) prophylaxis is used to prevent neutropenia. During the COVID pandemic, the threshold for initiating prophylaxis was lowered to reduce need for hospital attendance with the concomitant risk of hospital-acquired infection [2]. We evaluated whether GCSF prophylaxis supported completion of chemotherapy in patients treated at St Bartholomew's Hospital. Method(s): Data was retrospectively collected on the 112 patients with NSCLC who received adjuvant vinorelbine-platinum chemotherapy (total 349 cycles) in the period Jan 2017- Jul 2022. GCSF prophylaxis was prescribed at physician discretion. chi2 tests were carried out using SPSS 28. Result(s): A significantly higher proportion of patients who received GCSF prophylaxis completed four cycles of chemotherapy (chi2=5.120, p=0.024). These patients also experienced a lower incidence of grade 3 or 4 neutropenia (chi2=6.801, p=0.009). Over 5 years, 2/112 (1.75%) patients died, both from neutropenic sepsis;neither of these patients received prophylactic GCSF. GCSF prophylaxis was not associated with increase in the incidence of thromboembolic events (chi2=1.462, p=0.442). Conclusion(s): GCSF is safe and effective as primary prophylaxis in NSCLC patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy. Use of GCSF will reduce proportion of post-operative patients considered too high risk for chemotherapy due to concerns about neutropenia. Disclosure: No significant relationships. [Figure presented]Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
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Aims: Peers4Rs (Remembering Resilience, Respect and Recovery) was established within the Early Psychosis Intervention Programme (EPIP) in 2010 to promote client advocacy and recovery. Despite recommendations for peer support in early intervention services, there is a general lack of research on its impact. Current research evaluating peer support are heterogeneous in relation to interventions and outcomes, limiting research quality. This exploratory study aims to evaluate oneto- one peer support intervention on recovery processes in people with early psychosis in Singapore, during the COVID-19 period. Method(s): Data from 26 clients with first-episode psychosis (FEP), aged between 15 and 44 years, who were accepted into the service between 2021 and 2022, was included in the analysis. One-to-one peer support intervention was delivered over phone/video call or inperson by certified Peer Support Specialists (PSSs). The 22-item selfreport Process of Recovery Questionnaire (QPR) was administered at pre- and post-intervention. Paired-sample t-test was run. Result(s): Pre- and post- scores were compared before and after completing the one-to-one peer support intervention. On average, post scores (M = 62.77, SD = 7.60) were higher than pre scores (M = 49.31, SD = 12.07). This improvement, 13.46, 95% CI [9.26, 17.67], was statistically significant, t (25) = 6.59, p < .001, Cohen's d = 1.34. Conclusion(s): Based on preliminary results, clients with FEP grew in their recovery process through the one-to-one peer support intervention in EPIP. This finding is promising, given small sample sizes and limits in mode of contact during the pandemic, lending support to further discussions.
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Introduction: Extensive stage small cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) is the most aggressive form of lung cancer, and delays in treatment result in worse outcomes. The National Lung Cancer Audit1 guidelines advise 70% of patients should receive systemic treatment and 80% within 14 days of pathological diagnosis. We aimed to assess compliance with these recommendations and improve the treatment pathway for patients with ES-SCLC in East London. Method(s): To establish baseline metrics, we reviewed compliance with these guidelines in all patients diagnosed with ES-SCLC in 2019 (pre-COVID pandemic). Two interventions were made: i) admission of all newly diagnosed patients for urgent chemotherapy to improve time to treatment and ii) all newly diagnosed ES-SCLC patients across our network of five hospitals were requested to be reviewed by or transferred under a lung oncologist to improve treatment rates. We re-evaluated data from all ES-SCLC patients diagnosed in 2022 using the same pre-intervention criteria. Result(s): 31 patients in 2019 and 17 patients in 2022 were included. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics including (median) age (68 vs 70, p=0.64), co-morbidities (1 vs 1, p=0.12), and performance status (1 vs 1, p=0.86) between cohorts. There was a significant decrease in the median [range] time to treatment (13 [4-80] days vs 4 [1-31] days, p=0.03] and an increase in the proportion of patients reviewed by a lung oncologist (74% to 100%, p=0.04). There was also an increase in the proportion of patients receiving treatment (61% vs 77%). [Figure presented] Conclusion(s): Our data suggest that these interventions may improve the proportion of patients receiving treatment and the time to treatment. Larger local audits and correlation with national data is required to evaluate the impact these interventions have on outcomes. Reference: [1] RCP National Lung Cancer Audit Annual Report. 2022. Disclosure: No significant relationships.Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
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This letter discusses the use of digital tools to support psychiatry residency training in Singapore during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Psychiatry Residency Program is a five-year program accredited by the US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-International (ACGME-I) and Joint Committee on Specialty Training (JCST), Singapore. The pandemic infection control measures, including social distancing and cross hospital movement restrictions, have created unprecedented challenges to training. Psychiatry residents cannot meet in groups, go outside of their current sites to do clinical work or attend educational activities, and ambulatory teams have halted home visits and day treatment programs. However, in the process, other clinical learning opportunities have unexpectedly arisen. To help with shifting demands, some psychiatry residents have been assigned to different services than the ones belonging to their rotations. Several residents have volunteered for deployment to medical facilities which are set up in the community, and are assisting medical teams in managing clinically ill patients. There are ongoing discussions between the residency program committee, central educational office and health authorities to ensure that requisite training rotations are being fulfilled as best as possible at the respective training sites. Although the disruption to psychiatry residency training in the midst of the pandemic is severe, the innovative use of digital platforms is coming of age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
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Background: The use of telepractice as an alternate method of delivering healthcare to people increased significantly after COVID-19 became a global pandemic. Objective(s): This study aimed to identify factors contributing to the accelerated adoption of telepractice during COVID-19 in Singapore. It also sought to examine whether there are differences in the perspectives of staff in nursing facilities and caregivers in personal homes towards telepractice. Method(s): A cross-sectional mixed method design was used. A survey with 20 items was adapted from the Telehealth Usability Questionnaire and translated into Mandarin. Anonymous responses were obtained from 70 patients and caregivers who had received speech therapy services via telepractice from a restructured hospital before and/or during Singapore's Circuit Breaker period. Analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Result(s): Sociodemographic variables of age, gender, education level and language preference did not impact user satisfaction and the likelihood of using telepractice again. Service-related factors were more influential. Participants chose to use telepractice as it saved travelling time (24.0%), was easy to use (19.3%), improved healthcare access (17.5%) and reduced waiting time (17.5%). Although all respondents expressed satisfaction in telepractice, 35.5% from personal homes and 37.5% from nursing facilities were not keen to use it again. Amongst caregivers, 26.7% from personal homes and 37.5% from nursing facilities preferred not to continue telepractice use. Technical and logistical disruptions and the lack of 'personal touch' were contributing factors. Conclusion(s): Improving technological infrastructure, providing training for users and developing guidelines would help sustain telepractice as a form of service delivery beyond COVID-19. Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
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Although the concern for the COVID-19 has attenuated at this time, it is widely believed that it will not be eliminated. There is the ongoing concern that variants will continue to emerge, including the possibility of contagious and dangerous ones. While pharmaceutical manufacturers continue to develop vaccines as well as antibodies, there is still a large population that prefers a nonpharmaceutical option if available. In this respect, a randomized clinical trial (RCT) using a photobiomodulation (PBM) device to treat acute COVID-19 is completed with findings to show this potential. Literature has shown that PBM is antiviral (Liu et al., 2003), anti-inflammatory (Hamblin, 2017), and accelerates the healing of lesions and sepsis (Costa et al., 2017);all are important factors in COVID-19 morbidity. These properties are supported by reports of rapid recovery in several severe hospitalization cases (Soheilifar et al., 2020). These are just a few cases, but the positive outcomes had warranted this RCT. In this RCT, the patients self-treated at home, electronically uploaded answers to a set of questions daily, and were monitored remotely. The main outcome was the measure of time to recovery from moderate to severe sickness. The Kaplan-Meier method along with the Cox Proportional Hazards model were used. The study enrolled 294 patients. For the primary outcome, patients who had symptoms for 0-5 days at baseline, the median for recovery in the treatment group was 18 days (95% CI, 13-20) versus the control group of 21 days (95% CI, 15-28), p = .05. Groups with symptoms for 6-10 days or 0-10 days did not show significant difference. The hazard ratio was 1.495 (95% CI, 0.996-2.243), p = .052 for the group with 0-5 days of symptoms. For secondary outcomes, significant time to recovery were observed in many symptoms. None of the patients in the treatment group suffered death or a severe adverse event (SAE), while there was one death and three SAEs that required hospitalization in the control group. The results showed that the treatment group produced significantly faster time to recovery than the control group in patients with moderate to severe COVID-19 symptoms for 0-8 days before enrollment. When measured for severity of the respiratory symptoms over 30 days, a variety of symptoms also responded significantly better with treatment. There was also no significant worsening of symptoms in the treatment group. The attention on the pandemic is shifting towards the long-term debilitating sequelae of chronic fatigue, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on the survivors, who are commonly known as long haulers. Literature suggests that PBM has the underlying bases for neuroregulation to potentially address these. This presentation will present the underlying mechanisms of PBM that lead to an effective treatment for COVID-19 and other coronavirus infections, and how the thoughtful selection of parameters can bring efficacy. It will present more details that includes those for secondary outcomes. The potential of PBM to treat long haulers will also be discussed, particularly the prospect of a new clinical trial that covers mental conditions..
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The campus closure and lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic which took place in 2020 had resulted in the adoption of virtual learning in higher learning institutions in Malaysia. The implementation of fully online learning approaches required both learners and educators to adapt to online assessment methods. In line with this, the shift from physical and written tests to online tests had a significant impact on teaching and learning in the virtual classroom. This paper presents students' preferences for online assessment platforms and types of assessment questions. This study also explores the impact of online assessment towards students' performance during virtual learning. Data was collected through an online questionnaire distributed to students from Multimedia University (MMU), Malaysia. This study found that students preferred closed-ended questions design and Google Classroom as the platform of online assessment. This study also revealed that students' academic performance improved during online learning. The findings of this study will be useful to academics and educators in designing effective online assessments if online learning continues after the pandemic. It also provides a framework for future research into the perceptions of online assessment among educators and academics. © 2022 IEEE.
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In terms of fatalities, Malaysia ranks third among ASEAN countries. Every year, there is an increase in accidents and fatalities. The state of the road is one factor contributing to near misses. A near miss is an almost-caused accident, an unplanned situation that could result in injury or accidents. The Majlis Bandar Pulau Pinang (MBPP) has installed 1841 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras around Penang to monitor traffic and track near miss incidents. When installing CCTVs, the utilisation of video allows resources to be used and optimised in situations when maintaining video memories is difficult and costly. Highways, industrial regions, and city roads are the most typical places where accidents occur. Accidents occurred at 200 per year on average in Penang from 2015 to 2017. Near misses are what create accidents. One of the essential factors in vehicle detection is the “near miss.” In this study, You Only Look Once version 3 (YOLOv3) and Faster Region-based Convolutional Neural Network (Faster RCNN) are used to solve transportation issues. In vehicle detection, a faster RCNN was used. Bird’s Eye View and Social Distancing Monitoring are used to detect the only vehicle in image processing and observe how near misses occur. This experiment tests different video quality and lengths to compare test time and error detection percentage. In conclusion, YOLOv3 outperforms Faster RCNN. In high-resolution videos, Faster RCNN outperforms YOLOv3, while in low-resolution videos, YOLOv3 outperforms Faster RCNN. © Universiti Putra Malaysia Press.
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Purpose : The effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on ophthalmic surgical case numbers in Australia and globally remains poorly characterised. Increased incidence of COVID-19 in Australia between March and April 2020 led to a national lockdown and elective surgery restrictions. The aim of this population-based study was to quantify the early impact of COVID-19 on ophthalmic surgery in Australia, comparing surgical service rates in 2019 and 2020. Methods : Retrospective analysis of the number of ophthalmic surgical services in 2019 and 2020 in all Australian States and Territories, as recorded by Medicare (Australian Government-funded universal health insurance scheme subsidising healthcare costs for Australian residents). Monthly surgical service rates were calculated and Poisson regression was used to compare the change in service rates between months. Results : Between March and April 2020, surgical service rates decreased for: cataract surgery (by 71%, 95% CI: 70-72%), cataract surgery with minimally invasive glaucoma surgical device insertion (by 71%, 95% CI: 65-75%), pterygium removal (by 67%, 95% CI: 60- 72%), corneal transplantation (by 31%, 95% CI: 9-48%), and collagen crosslinking for corneal ectasias (by 35%, 95% CI: 18-48%). Comparatively, service rates for these surgeries did not differ or decreased less between March and April 2019. Interestingly, glaucoma filtration surgery rates decreased between March and April in 2020 (by 44%, 95% CI: 29- 56%) and also in 2019 (by 45%, 95% CI: 31-55%), whilst retinal detachment surgery rates were unchanged between these months in 2020 (crude decrease 9%, 95% CI: -28 to 16%) and 2019 (crude decrease 11%, 95% CI: -26 to 9%). Conclusions : Despite relatively low rates of COVID-19 community transmission in Australia in 2020, ophthalmic surgical service rates decreased during months in lockdown and with restrictions, largely for non-time-critical conditions. These data may have health planning implications as the pandemic continues, with future lockdowns and restrictions possible, especially as COVID-19 variants emerge.
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Background & aims: COVID19 disproportionately affects the immunosuppressed, but its epidemiology over time is incompletely characterised. We describe Australian experiences of COVID19 in a national observational study of patients with malignancy. Methods: An ongoing multisite prospective cohort study of adult COVID19 patients with active cancer was conducted. Clinical and laboratory data over 28 months (1/3/20-22/7/22) was collated from 15 hospitals. Results: There were 491 patients included. Patients were a median of 63(IQR:50-71) years with majority male (254,52%). Solid organ malignancy was most common (296,60%), followed by haematological malignancy (180,37%), then both (15,4%). Most common solid tumour was breast cancer (74/296,25%);most common haematological cancer was lymphoma (102/180,57%). Majority (275,56%) were undergoing cancer treatment at COVID19 diagnosis. From 2020-2022, patients presented less with lower respiratory tract infections (57%,36%,5%) with increasing outpatient management (26%,50%,67%). Improved mortality was seen (27%,19%,11%). Median inpatient length of stay was 8(4-11) days. Intensive care admission was low (21,4%). For patients who had repeated respiratory PCR testing, median time from first to last positive test was 17(7-25, n = 123) days. Cancer treatment modification occurred in 18(4%) and delay in 74(15%). Conclusion: Despite improvements in outcomes, COVID19 still results in morbidity with impacts on cancer treatment. This preliminary data shows that cancer patients remain a vulnerable group and should be prioritised for public health interventions.
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Introduction Teleconsultation has become an increasingly important service in managing T2DM especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and is assumed to be less costly to patients compared to physical visits. This study aimed to compare patients' cost for a teleconsultation session vs physical clinic visit. Methodology This was a cross-sectional study from June 2020 to December 2021 in UMMC which included patients who had successfully participated in teleconsultation sessions. Patient interviews were conducted to collect demographics, detailed cost items (direct/ indirect cost) and a self-administered Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire Short Form (PSQ-18). HbA1c and average self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) records at baseline and 3-months after teleconsultation were obtained from electronic medical records (EMR). Results A total of 36 patients were recruited. The median cost of attending a physical visit was significantly higher compared to teleconsultation (RM 123.41 [54.29, 219.51] vs RM 41.41 [30.55, 49.66];p<0.001) with a median cost difference of RM 81.24 [20.20,171.69]. Indirect costs (income loss from absence) made up the majority of the cost saving with teleconsultation (teleconsultation RM 10.71 [0.00,18.45], physical visit RM95.24 [0.00,182.74];p<0.001). There was a reduction in HbA1c (9.45% [7.98, 11.38] to 8.25% [7.42, 9.49];p<0.001) and average fasting SMBG (8.11 mmol/L [6.75, 9.70] to 7.20 mmol/L [6.22, 8.71];p=0.03) after 3 months of teleconsultation. Patients reported high satisfaction levels with teleconsultation, with an overall PSQ-18 score of 78%. Conclusion Teleconsultation service in UMMC Diabetes outpatient clinic was cost saving to patients compared to physical visits without compromising blood glucose control. Teleconsultation may be a viable option of healthcare provision for many patients and may be considered as part of routine care.
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Background: There were reports on lower rates of hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome during COVID-19 pandemic due to fear to attend to hospitals, resulting in delayed diagnosis and treatment. In addition to fragmented care, hospital capacity strain affects access to care continuity for patients with acute coronary syndrome. Aim: To examine the impact of multicomponent integrated care on hard clinical outcomes in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Method: A literature search was conducted on PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid and Cochrane library databases for randomized controlled trials published in English language between January 1980 and November 2020. Trials were eligible if there was intervention with multicomponent integrated care, defined as 2 or more quality improvement strategies targeting different domains (the healthcare system, health-care providers and patients), for 1 month or more among patients with acute coronary syndrome. The outcomes of interest were mortality, hospital re-admission and emergency department visits, stratified by all-cause and cardiovascular-related. We pooled the risk ratio (RR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for the association between multicomponent integrated care and clinical outcomes using the Mantel-Haenszel test. Results: We identified a total of 74 eligible trials with 92,625 patients with acute coronary syndrome. The most common quality improvement strategies implemented were team change (83.8%), patient education (62.2%) and facilitated patient-provider relay (54.1%). In random-effect models, compared with usual care, multicomponent integrated care was associated with reduced risk for all-cause mortality (RR 0.84, 95% CI 0.78-0.90;p<0.001;I2=0%), cardiovascular mortality (RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.69-0.95;p=0.009;I2=0%), all-cause hospitalization (RR 0.88, 95% CI, 0.78-0.99;p=0.040;I2=58%) and cardiovascular-related hospitalization (RR 0.89, 95% CI 0.77-1.03;p=0.110;I2=79%). The associations of multicomponent integrated care with emergency department visits (RR 0.98, 95% CI 0.81-1.19;p=0.860;I2=66%) and unplanned outpatient visits (RR 1.03, 95% CI 0.90-1.18;p=0.650;I2=40%) were not statistically significant. Discussion: Multicomponent integrated care can improve patients’ outcomes after acute coronary syndrome. Patients with acute coronary syndrome need to understand their condition, adhere to treatment and perform self-management to prevent recurrence with worse prognosis. Our findings highlight that multicomponent integrated care can reduce risk for mortality and hospitalization in these high-risk patients.
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Poor communication skills can compromise patient care in palliative medicine. As accreditation bodies have only called for mandatory communication skills trainings (CSTs) in recent years, CSTs are new to most hospital departments. This systematic scoping review aims to gather data on existing CSTs to identify key factors in teaching and assessing communication skills in the palliative care setting so that effective evidence- based CSTs applicable to the post-COVID-19 era can be designed. Independent searches across 7 bibliographic databases were carried out. A 'split approach' comprising thematic analysis, directed content analysis and tabulated summaries of included articles was employed. 25,809 abstracts were identified, and 109 articles were included and analysed. Themes revealed include problems with existing CSTs;guiding principles for curriculum design;teaching methods;curriculum content;assessment methods and outcomes measured;integration of curriculum;and resources, facilitators and barriers to effective training. A major flaw in existing CSTs is the lack of curriculum structure, focus and standardisation. The planning and execution of a CST curriculum needs to be stepwise and competency based. Holistic assessment by faculty, simulated patients and peers on the learner's performance plays a key role in consolidating knowledge. The educational institute must clearly define the objectives of the programme, allocate sufficient administrative and financial resources, and ensure the wellbeing of its stakeholders. Beyond medical education, a spiral curriculum with longitudinal assessments will equip learners in palliative care with the necessary skills and confidence to face complex communication scenarios in our healthcare landscape. Good communication skills can improve patient satisfaction, treatment compliance, and reduce physician burnout and the frequency of malpractice claims. This strengthens the overall doctor-patient relationship in palliative care. (Table Presented) .
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Open-source ventilators (OSVs) are considered as an immediate response for the shortages of ventilator equipment in hospitals due to the ongoing global pandemic caused by the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). One of the designs explored for OSVs utilizes a bag-valve-mask as a source for mechanical ventilation. Despite its availability for use and being medically accepted, proper calibration must be observed in measuring ventilator scalars such as inspiratory pressure, inspiratory flow, and tidal volume to promote the safe use of the OSV and prevent OSV users to do more harm to the patient. This study discusses different calibration techniques to properly acquire ventilator scalar measurements using an integrated ventilator scalar measurement module. All in all, different calibration setups and bag-valve-mask-based mechanisms were tested and documented to determine an effective means to acquire accurate and precise ventilator scalar measurements.
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Automation is considered as the driving force of Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) to develop smart and automated devices for existing manufacturing processes. However, the global medical outbreak perpetrated by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) challenged researchers to explore new concepts and innovate existing technologies whilst resolving the ongoing health crisis. Thus, the demand for utilizing the automation concept in biomedical devices is reasonably high. For this study, the researchers have successfully implemented an industrial-grade programmable logic controller that will control the mechanical ventilation process of a bag-valve-mask-based emergency ventilator. Various mechanisms were observed, and the results have been documented. © 2020 IEEE.
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In response to COVID-19 pandemic, universities and related institutions around the world came up with various mechanical ventilator designs to help cope with the expected shortages of ventilators as the pandemic rages. Many of these designs are based on automating the manual operation of the Bag Valve Mask (BVM), a ubiquitous resuscitator device used for emergency ventilation or resuscitation of patients with breathing problems. In this paper, the mechanical design and development process for a BVM-based emergency ventilator is discussed. In particular, the evolution of the design from a simple, low-cost device to a more sophisticated system acceptable to pulmonologists and related medical practitioners is documented. © 2020 IEEE.