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Universities of Leicester and Nottingham collaborate on new research
The ventilators on an intensive care ward of a hospital offer a vital lifeline to the sickest and most vulnerable patients, providing the oxygen that keeps them alive when they are unable to breathe for themselves.
However, the use of these machines can come at a price — every year thousands of patients are left with debilitating lung injuries, a small number of which are so serious the patient never recovers.
Now, a research collaboration between the universities of Nottingham and Leicester is to use computer modelling of lungs based on information collected from real patients to look at the best way of using ventilators to treat patients while minimising the risk of injury.
Dr Jonathan Hardman, of The University of Nottingham’s Division of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, said: “For patients who don’t have the ability to breathe for themselves there is simply no other option than using a ventilator — it’s like carrying someone who is just too exhausted to walk.
“However, the use of these ventilators — which mechanically inflate and deflate the lungs — can cause tearing. You can be faced with a situation where a patient comes into the intensive care unit with a survivable illness but dies from a ventilator-associated injury. If they do make it out of the ICU, they could be left with lungs so badly scarred it could affect them for the rest of their life.
“Ventilator-associated injuries also extend the length of time a patient needs to spend in intensive care, putting them at risk of developing an un-related infection or the degradation of the muscles needed for breathing independently. In addition, these extra days spent on the ICU represent a huge cost to the NHS and affects the UK economy through loss of earnings from patients who are sick for longer than is necessary.
“We also have to count the human cost — it can be extremely distressing for families of patients to have to see their loved one supported by a ventilator.”
The challenge for researchers investigating ventilator-associated lung injury has been how to effectively monitor and observe the lungs of patients while on life-support. It is impossible to get monitoring equipment into the lungs themselves and x-rays are unable to provide the level of definition and clarity needed.
The £432,000 research project, funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSCR) will see Dr Hardman working with control engineer Dr Declan Bates at The University of Leicester to produce believable computer models of lungs. These could be used to test a range of different uses of the ventilator, for example, varying the amount of oxygen supplied to the patient or the number of breaths per minute provided by the machine.
Dr Bates said: "It might seem odd that a life-support machine can cause injury, but this is actually not uncommon. The majority of critically ill patients in Intensive Therapy Units (ITU) spend some time with their lungs ventilated using a mechanical ventilator or “life-support machine”. However, mechanical ventilation exposes patients’ lungs to potentially damaging positive pressures, and as a result, ventilator-associated lung injury (VALI) is a common and significant occurrence. Prolonged stays in the ITU may be generated, pneumonia may be precipitated and lifelong lung scarring may result. The scale of the problem is such that 2.9% of people receiving mechanical ventilation suffer VALI each year, which represents several thousand individuals in the UK each year."
Real-life data collected in the autumn by researchers from patients on the Intensive Care Unit at
Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre will be used to create the computer models. The results of that work will then be taken out into clinical trials.
Dr Hardman said: “We plan to recreate a population of patients with a variety of illnesses and injuries which will allow us to look at the different permutations of treatment for those. Eventually this could lead to computer management of ventilators which will provide the optimum treatment with the least risk of injury.”
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Serious fire at Leicester Royal Infirmary | |
| Serious fire at Leicester Royal InfirmaryJoint press release issued on behalf of Leicestershire Constabulary, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:Police and Fire officers have launched a joint investigation following a serious fire which broke out in a ward at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service received an initial report of the fire in Ward 8 of the Balmoral Building at 00:20 hrs this morning (May 5, 2011).... 05 May 2011 Serious fire at Leicester Royal Infirmary |
LAW RESEARCH FOCUSES ON PATIENTS WHO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT ABROAD | |
 | New research at the University of Leicester has investigated the legal standing of patients to seek funding from the NHS for treatment undertaken elsewhere in the European Union.... 09 Apr 2008 LAW RESEARCH FOCUSES ON PATIENTS WHO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT ABROAD |
UPDATED at 08:35 hrs: Serious fire at Leicester Royal Infirmary | |
| UPDATED at 08:35 hrs: Serious fire at Leicester Royal InfirmaryJoint press release issued on behalf of Leicestershire Constabulary, Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service and the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust:Police and Fire officers have launched a joint investigation following a serious fire which broke out in a ward at the Leicester Royal Infirmary. Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service received an initial report of the fire in Ward 8 of the Balmoral Building at 00:20 hrs this morning (May 5, 2011).... 05 May 2011 UPDATED at 08:35 hrs: Serious fire at Leicester Royal Infirmary |
Former nurse sentenced following sexual assault on patient | |
 | Former nurse sentenced following sexual assault on patient Jonathan Haldane A former nurse has today (Friday 5 June) been sentenced to a total of 24 months imprisonment after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a patient in his care. Jonathan Haldane (39) formerly of St James Road, Highfields, pleaded guilty to Sexual Touching and Witness Intimidation at a hearing in April.... 05 Jun 2009 Former nurse sentenced following sexual assault on patient |
Relevant News
£27m health boost for Leicester City people | |
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 | An additional 27m investment in patient services has been announced by the Leicester City Primary Care Trust (PCT) this week. ... 04 Apr 2008 £27m health boost for Leicester City people |
LAW RESEARCH FOCUSES ON PATIENTS WHO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT ABROAD | |
| New research at the University of Leicester has investigated the legal standing of patients to seek funding from the NHS for treatment undertaken elsewhere in the European Union.... 09 Apr 2008 LAW RESEARCH FOCUSES ON PATIENTS WHO SEEK MEDICAL TREATMENT ABROAD |
Investors back University of Leicester Spin-Out Company Haemostatix | |
 | Haemostatix, a biopharmaceutical development company that was formed in 2003 as a Spin-Out from the University of Leicester, has received 1.24m from investors Spark Ventures, Catapult and NESTA.... 28 Apr 2008 Investors back University of Leicester Spin-Out Company Haemostatix |
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 | Researchers into abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) at the University of Leicester have received over 900,000 funding from the Wellcome Trust... 28 Apr 2008 Abdominal Aeortic Aneurysm Research |
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Most Read News (today)
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Second collision on M1 northbound | |
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Cement mixer stolen from Hinckley | |
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Police confirm death of woman in Shepshed is non-suspicious | |
| Police confirm death of woman in Shepshed is non-suspiciousOfficers investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in Shepshed have confirmed that the death is not being treated as suspicious. The body was discovered in Butthole Lane at about 1pm on Wednesday January 5.... 06 Jan 2011 Police confirm death of woman in Shepshed is non-suspicious |
Man found guilty of assault and rape of woman in Loughborough | |
| Man found guilty of assault and rape of woman in LoughboroughPaulius TroninasA 19-year-old man has today (Friday January 7, 2011) been found guilty of the assault and rape of a woman in Loughborough. Paulius Troninas, 19, of Paget Street, Loughborough was found guilty of rape and section 18 grievous bodily harm following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.... 07 Jan 2011 Man found guilty of assault and rape of woman in Loughborough |
Most Read News (this month)
Leicester men guilty of smuggling 36m of cannabis | |
|---|---|
| Leicester men guilty of smuggling 36m of cannabis Anjam Nazir, Mohinder Singh, Baljinder Singh Three men from Leicester have pleaded guilty to their part in one of the country s biggest Cannabis smuggling operations. Leicestershire Constabulary is now able to provide details about the 36m drugs investigation following the conclusion of the trial at Winchester Crown Court today (Tuesday June 2).... 02 Jun 2009 Leicester men guilty of smuggling 36m of cannabis |
Second collision on M1 northbound | |
| Leicestershire Constabulary are investigating a second fatal collision on the M1 northbound. The first collision happened at around 8.... 12 Nov 2008 Second collision on M1 northbound |
Cement mixer stolen from Hinckley | |
| Cement mixer stolen from Hinckley Police are appealing for witnesses after a burglary at a building site in Hinckley. The incident happened at a building site at a premises on Baines Lane between 4.... 10 Mar 2009 Cement mixer stolen from Hinckley |
Police confirm death of woman in Shepshed is non-suspicious | |
| Police confirm death of woman in Shepshed is non-suspiciousOfficers investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in Shepshed have confirmed that the death is not being treated as suspicious. The body was discovered in Butthole Lane at about 1pm on Wednesday January 5.... 06 Jan 2011 Police confirm death of woman in Shepshed is non-suspicious |
Man found guilty of assault and rape of woman in Loughborough | |
| Man found guilty of assault and rape of woman in LoughboroughPaulius TroninasA 19-year-old man has today (Friday January 7, 2011) been found guilty of the assault and rape of a woman in Loughborough. Paulius Troninas, 19, of Paget Street, Loughborough was found guilty of rape and section 18 grievous bodily harm following a trial at Nottingham Crown Court.... 07 Jan 2011 Man found guilty of assault and rape of woman in Loughborough |
Most Read News (alltime)
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| Fatal road traffic collision on Melton Road Officers from the force s Serious Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for witnesses after a fatal road traffic collision on Melton Road. The collision occurred at around 7.... 08 Jun 2009 Fatal road traffic collision on Melton Road |
Forensic Psychology | |
 | Volunteers are being sought to take part in a new study at the University of Leicester which will have important implications for forensic research. Participants are required to spend just 30 minutes undertaking memory tasks and questionnaires which will help to shed new light on the relationship between personality, the experience of life adversity, and eye-witness memory.... 23 May 2008 Forensic Psychology |
Five Leicester men sentenced after illegal immigration scam | |
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Multi agency forum test explosion exercise at Leicester Racecourse | |
| Multi agency forum test explosion exercise at Leicester RacecourseMembers from Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Local Resilience Forum (LRF) have today (Wednesday October 27, 2010) been involved in a pre-planned exercise to test how emergency services would cope with a major incident. At 10.... 27 Oct 2010 Multi agency forum test explosion exercise at Leicester Racecourse |
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