Abstract
Tissues of the upper airways of critically ill patients are particularly vulnerable to mechanical damage associated with the use of ventilators. Ventilation is known to disrupt the structural integrity of respiratory tissues and their function. This damage contributes to the vulnerability of these tissues to infection. We are currently developing tissue models of damage and infection to the upper airways. As part of our studies, we have compared how tissue storage conditions affect mechanical properties of excised respiratory tissues using a quasi-static platform. Data presented here show considerable differences in mechanical responses of stored specimens compared to freshly excised specimens. These data indicate that implementation of storage and maintenance procedures that minimize rapid degradation of tissue structure are essential for retaining the material properties in our tissue trauma models.
Highlights
The European Physical Journal Special Topics of localized infections in these tissues known as ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) [3]
Understanding the relationship between damage and infection of upper respiratory tract tissues has considerable potential to inform and stimulate new therapies aimed at mitigating VAT and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP)
The main thrust of this work is to demonstrate the importance of sample storage as it relates to the interpretation of published mechanical properties of this tissue class, and as a driver for the development of realistic tissue models of mechanical injury to the trachea that can lead to complications such as VAT
Summary
The European Physical Journal Special Topics of localized infections in these tissues known as ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) [3]. The moduli ranges from the order of 10 kPA to the order of 100 MPa [6,7,8,9,10] These variations in modulus values have been attributed to species-specific differences in the tissues and to sample orientation [6]. As part of our aim to develop respiratory tissue-based models of damage and infection, we have undertaken comparative studies of trachea tissue specimens, stored under different conditions reported in the literature. Specimens of porcine tracheal tissues were excised and used immediately, stored in buffer, or frozen under conditions described in published studies that reported mechanical properties under compressive forces. The main thrust of this work is to demonstrate the importance of sample storage as it relates to the interpretation of published mechanical properties of this tissue class, and as a driver for the development of realistic tissue models of mechanical injury to the trachea that can lead to complications such as VAT
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
