The goal of this observational study is to learn if a chest monitor that tracks heart rhythm can help predict whether adults on a breathing machine after surgery will be able to breathe on their own once the breathing tube is removed. It is being done in adults recovering from surgery in the intensive care unit (ICU).
The main questions it aims to answer are:
Can heart rhythm patterns, measured soon after ICU admission and during a breathing test, show whether a patient is likely to breathe well without the machine? Do these patterns change in a helpful way when the breathing tube is removed?
Participants will:
Have soft, sticky patches placed on their chest, similar to those used for a regular heart monitor Have their heart rhythm recorded for 5 minutes at four times: soon after ICU admission, before a breathing test, during the breathing test, and right after the breathing tube is removed Continue to receive their usual ICU care; doctors will not see the monitor's readings, so these readings will not affect any treatment decisions
Age 18 years or older
Admitted to the surgical intensive care unit (ICU) after surgery
Currently on a breathing machine (mechanical ventilation) through a tube in the airway
Receiving dexmedetomidine as the main sedative medication, with a stable, predefined level of sedation
Permanent irregular heart rhythm (atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter)
Complete heart block or a heart rhythm that is fully controlled by a pacemaker
Already has a tracheostomy (a breathing tube placed through the neck)
A decision has already been made at ICU admission to withhold or withdraw life-sustaining treatment
Seoul National University Hospital
Lead sponsor
SMG-SNU Boramae Medical Center
Collaborator