Feasibility of Ventilation Detection Via Standard Defibrillator Pads in Mechanically Ventilated Pediatric Patients

Context: Resuscitation (CPR) guidelines recommend target values for rate and depth of rescue breathing and chest compressions. Defibrillator electrode pads can accurately detect the size, rate, and speed of machine-generated breaths in adults. The accuracy, precision, bias, and ability of the defibrillator electrode pads to detect the size, rate and speed of breathing in children have not been studied. Objectives: The primary objective is to evaluate the accuracy, precision, bias and ability of the pads and defibrillator to detect the rate and depth of breathing in critically ill children on breathing machines. Important secondary objectives include reporting the accuracy, precision and bias of the measurement of the speed of the breath, measurement variability, and impact of alternative defibrillator electrode pad location on the chest. Study Design/Setting/Participants: Prospective, pilot, observational study in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and Progressive Care Unit at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. The participants are all patients in the PICU and Progressive Care Unit (PCU), 6 months to 17 years, who are supported by their clinical management team with a tracheal tube, standard breathing machine, and standard ICU monitoring systems. Intervention: Standard defibrillator electrode pads will be placed on the patient's chest in two typical pediatric configurations, and data will be recorded for 5 minutes in each configuration. These defibrillator electrode pads will be used exclusively for monitoring, as additions to the standard ICU monitoring. Study Measures: The primary outcome variable will be the successful detection of breathing rate. We will compare the accuracy, precision and bias of detection of each breath of \> 2 ml/kg by the defibrillator electrode pads compared with the "gold standard" mechanical ventilator pneumotachometer detected breaths. Secondary outcome variables will include defibrillator electrode pad detection of breathing depth and speed compared to standard ICU monitors (considered the gold standard). We will also study the effect of defibrillator electrode pad location on the accuracy, precision, bias and ability to detect breathing rate, depth, and speed.