The evaluation of a pulmonary display to detect adverse respiratory events using high resolution human simulator.
OBJECTIVE
Authors developed a picture-graphics display for pulmonary function to present typical respiratory data used in perioperative and intensive care environments. The display utilizes color, shape and emergent alerting to highlight abnormal pulmonary physiology. The display serves as an adjunct to traditional operating room displays and monitors.


METHODS
To evaluate the prototype, nineteen clinician volunteers each managed four adverse respiratory events and one normal event using a high-resolution patient simulator which included the new displays (intervention subjects) and traditional displays (control subjects). Between-group comparisons included (i) time to diagnosis and treatment for each adverse respiratory event; (ii) the number of unnecessary treatments during the normal scenario; and (iii) self-reported workload estimates while managing study events.


METHODS
Two expert anesthesiologists reviewed video-taped transcriptions of the volunteers to determine time to treat and time to diagnosis. Time values were then compared between groups using a Mann-Whitney-U Test. Estimated workload for both groups was assessed using the NASA-TLX and compared between groups using an ANOVA. P-values < 0.05 were considered significant.


RESULTS
Clinician volunteers detected and treated obstructed endotracheal tubes and intrinsic PEEP problems faster with graphical rather than conventional displays (p < 0.05). During the normal scenario simulation, 3 clinicians using the graphical display, and 5 clinicians using the conventional display gave unnecessary treatments. Clinician-volunteers reported significantly lower subjective workloads using the graphical display for the obstructed endotracheal tube scenario (p < 0.001) and the intrinsic PEEP scenario (p < 0.03).


CONCLUSIONS
Authors conclude that the graphical pulmonary display may serve as a useful adjunct to traditional displays in identifying adverse respiratory events.
Wachter
S Blake
SB
University of Utah, Department of Anesthesiology, 3C444 SOM, 30 North 1900 East, Salt Lake City, UT 84132-2304, USA. blake@relia.net
Johnson
Ken
K
Albert
Robert
R
Syroid
Noah
N
Drews
Frank
F
Westenskow
Dwayne
D
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001292:Attitude to Computers; D003196:Computer Graphics; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003626:Data Display; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D007442:Intubation, Intratracheal / Q000295:instrumentation; D008168:Lung / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D008954:Models, Biological; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods*; D016544:Patient Simulation; D018467:Positive-Pressure Respiration, Intrinsic / Q000175:diagnosis; D012119:Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects