Heart Rate Readings Research Articles

Dashboard Layout Effects on Drivers' Searching Performance and Heart Rate: Experimental Investigation and Prediction.

Carsharing scale has been increasing rapidly with sharing economy. However, many users are reluctant to rent cars any longer due to the low-quality of interactive experience and usability, especially in terms of the dashboard design. This challenge should be urgently addressed in order to maintain the sustainable development of car-sharing industry and its environmental benefits. This study aims to investigate the relationship between users' driving activities (e.g., searching time, reading time, eye movement, heart rate) and dashboard layout. This study was conducted based on the experimental investigation among 58 respondents who were required to complete driving tasks in four types of cars with different dashboard layouts. Afterwards, a prediction model was developed to predict users heart rate (HR) based on the long short-term memory model, and logistic models were used to examine the relationship between the occurrence probability of minimum HR and dashboard reading. The results showed that the system usability of a dashboard was related to the drivers' eye movement characteristics including fixation duration, fixation times and pupil diameter. Most indicators had significant effects (p < 0.05) on the system usability score of corresponding dashboard. The long short-term memory model network (RMSE = 1.105, MAE = 0.009) was capable of predicting heart rate (HR) that happened in the process of instrument reading, which presented a periodic pattern rather than a continuous increase or decrease. It reflected that the network could better fit the non-linear and time-sequential laws of HR data. Furthermore, the probability of the lowest heart rate occurrence during the interaction with four dashboards was influenced by the average searching time, reading time and reading accuracy that were related to a specific layout. Overall, this study provided a theoretical reference for uncovering users' adaptive behaviors with the central control screen and for the optimal choice of a suitable dashboard layout in interface design.

Process Evaluation of a Randomised Controlled Trial for TeleClinical Care, a Smartphone-App Based Model of Care.

BackgroundA novel smartphone app-based model of care (TeleClinical Care – TCC) for patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and heart failure (HF) was evaluated in a two-site, pilot randomised control trial of 164 participants in Sydney, Australia. The program included a telemonitoring system whereby abnormal blood pressure, weight and heart rate readings were monitored by a central clinical team, who subsequently referred clinically significant alerts to the patients' usual general practitioner (GP, also known as primary care physician in the United States), HF nurse or cardiologist. While the primary endpoint, 30-day readmissions, was neutral, intervention arm participants demonstrated improvements in readmission rates over 6 months, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) completion and medication compliance. A process evaluation was designed to identify contextual factors and mechanisms that influenced the results, as well as strategies of improving site and participant recruitment and the delivery of the intervention, for a planned larger effectiveness trial of over 1,000 patients across the state of New South Wales, Australia (TCC-Cardiac).MethodsMultiple data sources were used in this mixed-methods process evaluation, including interviews with four TCC team members, three GPs and three cardiologists. CR completion rates, HF outreach service (HFOS) referrals and cardiologist follow-up appointments were audited. A patient questionnaire was also analysed for evidence of improved self-care as a hypothesised mechanism of the TCC app. An implementation research logic model was used to synthesise our findings.ResultsRates of HFOS referral (83 vs. 72%) and cardiologist follow-up (96 vs. 93%) were similarly high in the intervention and control arms, respectively. Team members were largely positive towards their orientation and training, but highlighted several implementation strategies that could be optimised for TCC-Cardiac: streamlining of the enrolment process, improving the reach of the trial by screening patients in non-cardiac wards, and ensuring team members had adequate time to recruit (>15 h per week). GPs and cardiologists viewed the intervention acceptably regarding potential benefit of closely monitoring, and responding to abnormalities for their patients, though there were concerns of the potential additional workload generated by alerts that did not merit clinical intervention. Clear delineation of which clinician (GP or cardiologist) was primarily responsible for alert management was also recommended, as well as a preference to receive regular summary data. Several patients commented on the mechanisms of improved self-management because of TCC, which could have led to the outcome of improved medication compliance.DiscussionUse of TCC was associated with several benefits, including higher patient engagement and completion rates with CR. The conduct and delivery of TCC-Cardiac will be improved by the findings of this process evaluation to optimise recruitment, and establishing the roles of GPs and cardiologists as part of the model.

Vital Signs Monitoring Device with BPM and SpO2 Notification Using Telegram Application Based on Thinger.io Platform

Vital signs are an important component of monitoring the adult or child patient's progress during hospitalization, as they allow for the prompt detection of delayed recovery or adverse events. Vital signs are measured to obtain basic indicators of a patient's health status. The most common intervention performed in hospital medicine is a measurement of vital signs, and these traditionally consist of blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, and respiratory rate. Advanced monitoring systems incorporate a balanced combination of clinical and technological aspects to give an innovative healthcare outcome. Remote patient monitoring systems are rapidly becoming the core of healthcare deliveries. The paradigm shifted from traditional and manual recording to computer-based electronic records and further to smartphones as versatile and innovative healthcare monitoring systems. This research aims to design a Vital Sign Monitoring device for BPM and SpO2 Parameters with Notifications through the IoT-Based Telegram application. This device can monitor vital signs, especially BPM and SPO2, wherever the patient is and whenever so that doctors or health workers and patients can find out their health condition. This display can be viewed via web thinger.io, then forwarded to telegram if an abnormal patient condition is found, and there is an indicator light that will light up differently for each condition. This study uses the MAX30100, which is a digital sensor to detect oxygen saturation and heart rate. The results of this study have succeeded in displaying data on the IoT web and sending notifications to the Telegram application. And also, the resulting data has an error that does not exceed the allowable limit according to each parameter. The difference between heart rate readings and oxygen saturation values ​​on the device and patient monitor is 0.015% for heart rate and 0.01% for oxygen saturation. This study indicates that it is time to monitor vital signs that can be seen remotely and have a system that is an inexpensive and easy-to-operate device for health workers without interfering with activities of daily living.

Assessment of Dental Anxiety and Hemodynamic Changes during Different Dental Procedures: A Report from Eastern Saudi Arabia.

This study aimed to investigate hemodynamic changes in healthy adult patients during different dental procedures and evaluate whether these changes were associated with patients' dental anxiety. A convenience sample of 119 patients of both genders undergoing routine dental care participated in the study. Participants responded to the Arabic version of the modified dental anxiety scale (MDAS) and a self-structured questionnaire. Each patient had their blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation measured at three points: before, during, and after the dental procedure using an electronic sphygmomanometer. MDAS scores were categorized into no anxiety, mild, moderate or severe anxiety, while readings of heart rate and blood pressure were categorized into no change, increased or decreased and either "no change" or "increased" for oxygen saturation. Chi-square test was used to investigate the association between the study variables and a p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. SPSS version 20 was used in the analysis. Mean ( ± standard deviation [SD]) of MDAS was 11.12 ( ± 3.9) an indicative of moderate dental anxiety. No changes in blood pressure, heart rate, or in oxygen saturation were observed on 39.5%, 54.6% and 97.5% among the study participants, respectively. Half of the participants avoided dental care, with dental anxiety being the main reason for that (26.1%). Pattern of dental visits was significantly associated with MDAS scores (p = 0.042). There were significant changes in blood pressure (p = 0.0003), heart rate (p = 0.01) but not in oxygen saturation (p = 0.33). Changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were not associated with dental anxiety p = 0.15, 0.10, and 0.99, respectively. The results of this study indicate that the type of dental procedure may cause dental anxiety and cause hemodynamic changes. Therefore, close monitoring of patients with dental anxiety during the treatment is advised.

Rapid Patient-Side Evaluation of Endothelial Glycocalyx Thickness in Healthy Sedated Cats Using GlycoCheck® Software.

The endothelial glycocalyx (EG) determines transvascular fluid fluxes, and influences inflammation, coagulation, and capillary blood flow. The GlycoCheck® software calculates EG thickness using sidestream dark field videomicroscopy recordings. This method has not been evaluated for use in cats. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of GlycoCheck® for estimating EG thickness in healthy cats, and to investigate the variability of EG thickness in this population. One hundred and one healthy research-purposed cats were included in the study. The cats were sedated, and a handheld videomicroscope, connected to GlycoCheck® software, was used to evaluate the sublingual microvasculature. The parameters measured included perfused boundary region (PBR, an indirect measurement of EG thickness) in vessels between 5 and 25 μm in diameter, valid vessel density, percentage red blood cell filling, and median red blood cell column width. Heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry and oscillometric blood pressure readings were also recorded. There were 35 neutered male cats, 11 intact males, 38 neutered females, and 17 intact females. The average age was 63 months (range, 11–160 months). Tolerance intervals for PBR (vessel diameter 5–25 μm) were 1.89–3.00 μm (95% CI, lower limit 1.76–2.04, upper limit 2.83–3.13 μm); for valid vessel density were 73.33–333.33 μm/mm2 (95% CI, lower limit 77.00–99.33, upper limit 312.67–350.33 μm/mm2); for percentage red blood cell filling were 59.85–85.07% (95% CI, lower limit 58.97–63.33, upper limit 83.07–88.20 %); and for median red blood cell column width were 5.63–8.59 μm (95% CI, lower limit 5.28–6.07, upper limit 8.14–9.51 μm). There was a negative association between median red blood cell column width and body weight (p = 0.007). The median red blood cell column was significantly wider in intact females when compared to spayed females (p = 0.033). The GlycoCheck® analysis was easily performed in healthy sedated cats. Clinical variables did not have an effect on the EG thickness. These results suggest that this technique could be valuable for evaluation of the EG and microvascular parameters in cats.

AN OBSERVATIONAL STUDY ON THE ACCURACY OF HEART RATE READINGS BETWEEN SMART WATCHES AND A HAND HELD VITAL SIGN MONITOR IN STATIC AND DYNAMIC MOTIONS ON A HEALTHY YOUNG ADULT POPULATION

There are various devices and applications available in the market that can be used to measure heart rates. These are becoming increasingly popular. Amongst these include the Apple watch, the Xiaomi MI Band and using the Thermal Application (T.A.P.) software (used through a Smartphone). In clinical practice and research, usually the E.C.G. Is used to measure the heart rates, (apart from manually counting the beats by palpation). The study will determine the accuracy of using the available devices in the market (previously mentioned), and also determine if they can be used on patients or subjects while sitting and walking, in clinical practice and researches. Method: It will be a comparative observational study. 50 students, selected as per the inclusion and exclusion criteria from Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences will be the subjects of this study. Their heart rates will be monitored with the three devices, and compared with the readings from an E.C.G. It will be done as per Bruce protocol during walking, and in static sitting. The accuracy of the devices will be determined by analyzing the results acquired. The devices are: Apple watch, Xiaomi MI band, and a smart Phone with Thermal Application (T.A.P.) software installed. The successful completion of the study will determine which of the devices show the most accurate heart rate readings, in what positions of a patient (sitting or walking) it would be acceptable to use these devices (in terms of accuracy) in the case where an E.C.G. is not available, or at a time of urgency. The study will also show if it would be appropriate to use these devices in clinical practice and research studies.

Can a low-cost exercise monitor provide useful heart rate monitoring for use in low-resource emergency departments?

ObjectiveOur objective was to study the clinical monitoring capabilities of a low-cost fitness wristband while measuring patient satisfaction with a mobility permitting device in the emergency department.MethodsPatients enrolled were on continuous three-lead telemetry monitoring in a high acuity zone of the emergency department. Patients were given a fitness band to wear while simultaneously monitored with standard three-lead monitor. A brief survey was conducted upon study end, and data was compared between wristband and three-lead telemetry. Median heart rate (HR) values were calculated, a Bland-Altman plot was generated, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated for comparison of the formal telemetry and the inexpensive wristband.ResultsThirty-four patients with an average age of 61.5 years were enrolled. From June to October 2019, over 100 hours of data were collected. In comparison for comfort, participants scored 9.5 of 10, preferring wristband over telemetry. Using a correlation coefficient graph, we found a significant disparity of HR readings within a telemetry range of 40 to 140 beats/min. An R-value of 0.36 was detected. Using a Bland-Altman plot, we observed a significant difference in HR between the telemetry monitor and the wristband. The sensitivity and specificity of the wristband to detect bradycardia (HR <60 beats/min) were 76% and 86%, respectively, while the sensitivity and specificity of the wristband to detect tachycardia (HR >100 beats/min) were 92% and 51%, respectively.ConclusionInexpensive fitness bands cannot be a suitable tool for monitoring patient’s HR because of inaccuracy in detecting bradycardia or tachycardia.

THE INFLUENCE OF ANESTHESIA WITH AND WITHOUT MEDETOMIDINE ON CARDIAC STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION IN SANCTUARY CAPTIVE CHIMPANZEES (PAN TROGLODYTES).

Dependent on timing of assessment, anesthetic agents and specifically medetomidine negatively affect cardiac function in great apes. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of tiletamine-zolazepam (TZ) with and without medetomidine on cardiac structure and function in healthy chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) during a period of relative blood pressure stability. Twenty-four chimpanzees living in an African wildlife sanctuary undergoing routine health assessments were stratified by age, sex, and body mass and randomized to be anesthetized using either TZ (6 mg/kg; n = 13; seven males and six females) or a combination of TZ (2 mg/kg) and medetomidine (TZM; 0.02 mg/kg; n = 11; five males and six females). During health checks, regular heart rate and blood pressure readings were taken and a standardized echocardiogram was performed 20-30 min after induction. Data were compared between the two anesthetic groups using independent-samples t or Mann-Whitney U tests. Although heart rate (mean ± SD; TZ: 76 ± 10 bpm; TZM: 65 ± 14 bpm, P = 0.027), cardiac output (TZ: 3.0 ± 0.7 L/min; TZM: 2.4 ± 0.7 L/min, P = 0.032), and mitral A-wave velocities (TZ: 0.51 ± 0.16 cm/s; TZM: 0.36 ± 0.10 cm/s, P = 0.013) were lower in the TZM group, there were no statistically significant differences in cardiac structure or the remaining functional variables between groups. Furthermore, there were no statistical differences in systolic (TZ 114.6 ± 14.9 mmHg; TZM: 123.0 ± 28.1 mmHg; P = 0.289) or diastolic blood pressure (TZ: 81.8 ± 22.3 mmHg, TZM: 83.8 ± 20.1 mmHg; P = 0.827) between the groups during the echocardiogram. This study has shown that during a period of relative blood pressure stability, during the first 20-30 min after induction there are few differences in measures of cardiac structure and function between protocols using TZ with or without medetomidine in healthy chimpanzees.

A comparative Study of Efficacy of Esmolol and Fentanyl For Blood Pressure and Heart Rate Attenuation During Laryngoscopy and Endotracheal Intubation

Background: Blood pressure and heart rate elevation during laryngoscopy and tracheal intubation maycause serious medical problems ex.: patients with cardiovascular disease as well as patients with increasedintracranial pressure. Aim of study: Comparism between Fentanyl and Esmolol in attenuating blood pressureand heart rate during laryngoscope and tracheal intubation. Patients and Method:60 adult patients of bothsex, ages between (20-33) , labeled as ASA I and ASA II will undergo elective surgery, divided into twogroups, each group contain 30 patients: Esmolol Group (E) takes 0.5 mg/kg esmolol IV. And Fentanyl Group(F) takes 1 mic/kg fentanyl IV.Blood pressure and heart rate was recorded before drugs administration asbaseline reading and another reading was taken after drug administration as well as after tracheal intubation.Result: blood pressure and heart rate readings of both groups, when compared to baseline reading showsthat Regarding heart rate, there are significance differences between the two groups, in that, esmololreduce heart rate in all stages when compared to fentanyl. Regarding systolic blood pressure, both drugsreduce systolic blood pressure and there are significances in all stages, favored esmolol except in T3 due torise in sbp when using fentanyl. Regarding diastolic blood pressure, both drugs also reduce diastolic bloodpressure but there are no significances in these reading except in T3 due to esmolol reduce dpb much morethan fentanyl does. Conclusions: esmolol in a dose of 0.5mg/kg is more effective than fentanyl in a dose of1mic/kg in attenuation of hemodynamic response after endotracheal intubation.

Sex-Specific Effects of Respiratory Muscle Endurance Training on Cycling Time Trial Performance in Normoxia and Hypoxia.

Objectives: We tested the hypotheses that respiratory muscle endurance training (RMET) improves endurance cycling performance differently in women and men and more so in hypoxia than in normoxia.Design: A prospective pre–post cross-over study with two testing conditions.Methods: Healthy and active women (seven, 24 ± 4 years, mean ± standard deviation [SD]) and men (seven, 27 ± 5 years) performed incremental cycling to determine maximum oxygen consumption (VO2peak) and power output (Wpeak) and on different days two 10-km cycling time trials (TTs) in normoxia and normobaric hypoxia (FiO2, 0.135, ~3,500 m equivalent), in a balanced randomized order. Next they performed supervised RMET in normoxia (4 weeks, 5 days/week, 30 min/day eucapnic hyperpnea at ~60% predicted maximum voluntary ventilation) followed by identical post-tests. During TTs, heart rate, ear oximetry reading, and Wpeak were recorded.Results: The VO2peak and Wpeak values were unchanged after RMET. The TT was improved by 7 ± 6% (p < 0.001) in normoxia and 16 ± 6% (p < 0.001) in hypoxia. The difference between normoxic and hypoxic TT was smaller after RMET as compared with that before RMET (14% vs. 21%, respectively, p < 0.001). All effects were greater in women (p < 0.001). The RMET did not change the heart rate or ear oximetry reading during TTs.Conclusion: We found a greater effect of RMET on cycling TT performance in women than in men, an effect more pronounced in hypoxia. These findings are congruent with the contention of a more pronounced performance-limiting role of the respiratory system during endurance exercise in hypoxia compared with normoxia and more so in women whose respiratory system is undersized compared with that of men.

Examining the Accuracy of the Polar A360 Monitor.

Rider, BC, Conger, SA, Ditzenberger, GL, Besteman, SS, Bouret, CM, and Coughlin, AM. Examining the accuracy of the Polar A360 monitor. J Strength Cond Res 35(8): 2165-2169, 2021-The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the Polar A360 heart rate (HR) monitor during periods of rest, walking/running, and active/passive recovery from exercise. Thirty collegiate athletes (women n = 15 and men n = 15) wore an A360 monitor and a previously validated chest HR monitor (Polar RS400) that served as the criterion measurement across a range of resting and walking/running intensities. First, subjects rested in a supine, seated, and standing position. Next, each subject walked on a treadmill at 1.6 kilometers per hour (kph). Speed was increased by 1.6 kph every 2 minutes until volitional fatigue. Then, subjects walked at 4.8 kph followed by a seated recovery stage. Heart rate was recorded in 30-second increments. Total mean difference in HR readings, percent accuracy, and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analysis established the level of agreement between devices. Bland-Altman plots and a regression were used to examine the agreement between devices. The A360 demonstrated a strong correlation with the RS400 (r2 = 0.98) across time points. The analysis of variance with repeated measures indicated an overall significant difference (p < 0.001) between devices. The A360 significantly underestimated HR during the 6.4-kph speed only (p < 0.05) (effect size 0.26). The greatest percent accuracy occurred during rest (91%) and recovery (90%). An ICC of 0.98 (SEM: 0.35) demonstrates a strong level of agreement between devices. The A360 is accurate at rest and during various walking and running speeds and thus is a device that can be used with confidence by athletes for specific training purposes. Future research should examine accuracy during weight training and other sport-specific activities.

MOBILE DETACHER USING A HEART RATE MONITORING SYSTEM

Mobile phones are the most effective devices used for communication and are playing a vital role in every human being’s life. Most of the mobile users are addicted to mobile phones. Superfluous use of mobile phones is interconnected with undesirable effects on human health. The best way to restrict the user from using the mobile phone unnecessarily is to limit gaming. Since Heart Rate (HR) is a well-being parameter generally used as a marker describing the autonomous nervous system functionality, it can be employed to evaluate the player condition. For the purpose of player condition estimation, a wearable device has been designed and utilized for the calculation of HR and transmission of HR readings to the mobile game application. The Mobile Game Application has been designed in a way to process the HR values and evaluate the screen time of the gaming app. If the application records an abnormal heart rate along with exceeded screen time, then the application will generate an alert message followed by an automatic termination of the game and sends a message regarding abnormality to the prescribed mobile number. KEYWORDS: Mobile addiction, gaming, heart rate, player condition, screen time, alert message

May Measurement Month 2019: an analysis of blood pressure screening results from Botswana.

The May Measurement Month (MMM) 2019 campaign aimed to raise awareness of the health issues surrounding raised blood pressure (BP) among the general public. It also sought to identify and facilitate reduction of BPs of participants who require intervention to lower their BP according to current country treatment guidelines. Participants aged ≥18 years were recruited on site through interactions with the study team, educational fliers, and as voluntary walk-ins in response to the media engagement prior to the campaign. Blood pressures were measured using validated upper-arm cuff electronic devices provided by Omron Healthcare in partnership with International Society of Hypertension. With the participant seated, their back supported and legs resting uncrossed on the ground, three BP and heart rate readings were taken and recorded, 1 min apart. Participants’ basic demographic data were also collected. Hypertension was defined as being on treatment for hypertension, or a systolic BP ≥140 mmHg and/or a diastolic BP ≥90 mmHg (based on the mean of the last two of three readings). Of the 5459 screened participants, 1750 (32.1%) had hypertension, of whom 784 (44.8%) were aware they were hypertensive and 726 (41.5%) were on antihypertensive medication. Among those on antihypertensive treatment, 47.0% had their BP controlled (<140/90 mmHg). Only 19.5% of all those with hypertension had their BP controlled. A total of 1024 (21.6%) of the 4733 participants not on antihypertensive treatment were hypertensive. Intensified preventive and treatment measures to control BP at the health system, individual and population levels remain a critical requirement for Botswana.

Hidden Markov Model energy conservation approach for continuous monitoring of vital signs in geriatric care applications

In the recent healthcare crisis engendered by the Covid19 pandemic, wireless body area networking devices have started to play a significant role in mitigating the health problems of the elderly. The energy conservation of the device during the temporary disconnection of the sensor node can play a vital role in the broader acceptance of this technology. Here, a probabilistic hidden Markov model (HMM) is used for energy conservation, a relatively less explored area of energy conservation approach within the field of wireless sensor networks. Since the vital signs of heart rate and blood pressure are highly correlated, the heart rate and blood pressure readings are taken for model development. The classification of normal and critical data is based on the probability of observation sequences in the particular model. The hidden states are estimated using the observation sequence and the HMM parameters during disconnection. Accuracy between 0.9 and 1.0 is obtained for different series. Dynamic threshold limits are included for more adaptability of the model for varying physiological conditions of the patients. The energy conservation possible using the model is discussed. This model presents a novel approach to energy conservation using HMM, which will help continuous home monitoring of vital parameters in geriatrics.

A comparison between heart-rate monitoring smart devices for ambient assisted living

Demographically, the proportion of elderly people in the population is increasing worldwide. The proportion of elderly people (aged over 60) has been rising and in 2015 the proportion was reported to be 12.3% and is expected to reach 16.5% of the world population in the year 2030. Additionally, elderly people are more vulnerable to many diseases and heart failure persists as the most common cause of mortality. However, while acknowledging this threat, elderly people have a longer life expectancy and live more independently in the environment of their choice. To meet this challenge, smart devices are considered a solution to monitor heart rates of elderly people and detect any abnormal activity that may require action to be taken. In order to assess how this solution could be implemented, the aim of this paper was to compare the accuracy of heart rate readings by conducting experiments on five different models of smart devices: (A) Vivosmart, (B) Philips, (C) Pulsimeter, (D) Fitbit-Surge, and (E) Chest Strap. A comparison of the results demonstrated that the Smart watch devices detect heart rates more accurately when compared to Chest Straps and the Pulsoximeter, with a variation of $$\pm$$ 10%. The results of this paper suggest that replacing current devices (such as chest strap and finger device) with Smart watches as a primary solution for heart rate monitoring to support healthcare and for Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) would significantly reduce cost incurred by physically visiting elderly individuals on a daily, weekly or even monthly basis.

Short-Term Effect of Inhaled Salbutamol on Heart Rate in Healthy Volunteers.

ObjectiveTachycardia is a potential side effect of salbutamol inhalation. We aimed to study the short-term effect of salbutamol nebulization on the heart rate of healthy volunteers.Material and methodsA randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled, cross-over study was conducted with 30 healthy volunteers divided into two groups of 15 each. One group was nebulized with salbutamol (2.5 mg/2 ml dilution) while the other group was given normal saline (2 ml). Each arm underwent administration of the opposite drug the following week. Baseline readings of heart rate and blood pressure were taken at zero (T0), seven (T7), 15 (T15), and 30 (T30) minutes.ResultsThirty volunteers between the ages of 20 and 25 years were studied. The mean heart rate value was higher for nebulized salbutamol at each point as compared to saline. When nebulized with salbutamol, the heart rate had a significant rise (p= < 0.00001) at 15 minutes as compared to saline nebulization.ConclusionSalbutamol nebulization, even at a low dose, can lead to a significant increase in heart rate when compared to nebulization with normal saline in healthy individuals.

Acute flywheel exercise does not impair the brachial artery vasodilation in healthy men of varying aerobic fitness.

The cardiovascular response to variable load exercise on a flywheel ergometer is still unknown. This study examined the effects of flywheel exercise on cardiovascular response and brachial artery vasodilation capacity in healthy, active men. In this cross-sectional study, nineteen men (20-57 years old) completed three laboratory visits, including a ramp exercise test to determine their maximal oxygen uptake JOURNAL/blpmo/04.03/00126097-202106000-00008/inline-graphic1/v/2021-04-27T091817Z/r/image-tiff max, and exercise intervention on a flywheel ergometer set at 0.075 kg·m2 moment of inertia. After the ramp test cessation, all participants were allocated into aerobically untrained (n = 10) and trained (n = 9) groups. Throughout the flywheel exercise, cardiovascular demands were continuously monitored via Finapres, while a pre/postflow-mediated dilation (FMD) assessment was performed using ultrasound imaging. There were no differences observed between the groups in their anthropometrics, age or resting brachial artery diameter, while the JOURNAL/blpmo/04.03/00126097-202106000-00008/inline-graphic2/v/2021-04-27T091817Z/r/image-tiff max was ~15% higher (P = 0.001) in trained compared to aerobically untrained group. The cardiovascular response to the flywheel exercise was similar between the groups, with peak mean arterial pressure and heart rate readings reaching ~160 mmHg and ~140 bpm, respectively. The flywheel exercise did not impair the FMD (%) response, which was comparable between the groups (P = 0.256). When these data were pooled, the regression analysis showed an inverse relationship among FMD (%), age (β = -0.936, P = 0.001) and JOURNAL/blpmo/04.03/00126097-202106000-00008/inline-graphic3/v/2021-04-27T091817Z/r/image-tiffmax. (β = -0.359, P = 0.045). Although aerobic fitness alone does not directly explain the FMD response to flywheel exercise, aerobically untrained individuals, as they get older, tend to have lower brachial artery FMD.

Characterisation of Textile Embedded Electrodes for Use in a Neonatal Smart Mattress Electrocardiography System.

Heart rate monitoring is the predominant quantitative health indicator of a newborn in the delivery room. A rapid and accurate heart rate measurement is vital during the first minutes after birth. Clinical recommendations suggest that electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring should be widely adopted in the neonatal intensive care unit to reduce infant mortality and improve long term health outcomes in births that require intervention. Novel non-contact electrocardiogram sensors can reduce the time from birth to heart rate reading as well as providing unobtrusive and continuous monitoring during intervention. In this work we report the design and development of a solution to provide high resolution, real time electrocardiogram data to the clinicians within the delivery room using non-contact electric potential sensors embedded in a neonatal intensive care unit mattress. A real-time high-resolution electrocardiogram acquisition solution based on a low power embedded system was developed and textile embedded electrodes were fabricated and characterised. Proof of concept tests were carried out on simulated and human cardiac signals, producing electrocardiograms suitable for the calculation of heart rate having an accuracy within ±1 beat per minute using a test ECG signal, ECG recordings from a human volunteer with a correlation coefficient of ~ 87% proved accurate beat to beat morphology reproduction of the waveform without morphological alterations and a time from application to heart rate display below 6 s. This provides evidence that flexible non-contact textile-based electrodes can be embedded in wearable devices for assisting births through heart rate monitoring and serves as a proof of concept for a complete neonate electrocardiogram monitoring system.

Design and Development of a Low Cost Pulse Oximeter

There are various types of pulse oximeters (POs) including ‘reflectance POs’, which can be used on more sites like the forehead, chest or cheeks and work the same way as ‘transmission POs’ which is the most commonly used device for the continuous measurement of % blood oxygen saturation and pulse/heart rate. This paper describe the design and development of a low cost pulse oximeter (PO) specifically focused on the use of ‘Reflectance Photo-Plethysmo-Graphy’ (RPPG) technology, and compare with commonly used pulse oximeter devices at the East Lancashire Hospitals. The design arrangement involved the use of an Arduino Mega 2560 Circuit Board as microcontroller, Pulse Sensor, Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) and Liquid Crystal Display (LCD), which allowed subsidising to make a functional device for accurate readings of Heart Rate (HR) in beats per minute (BPM) and % Blood Oxygen Saturation (SpO2). RPPG technique was successfully implemented within the design and development of the PO prototype, contrasting against the more conventional method of transmission pulse oximetry for obtaining HR and SpO2 values. It is concluded that the RPPG pulse oximeter is a more cost effective method of operation with comparable results.

Age-Specific Features of the Functional Development of the Circulatory System in Children Living in Northeastern Russia

Summary. Introduction: The problem of human interaction with the environment acquires special importance nowadays. Significant migration processes observed in the last decade have become global, thus necessitating studies of the mechanisms of human adaptation to new environmental conditions. Our objective was to study age-related changes in functional indices of the cardiovascular system in adolescents between 11 and 17 years of age, born in Magadan in the first to third generation of Caucasians who had migrated to this city. Material and methods: In all, 1,442 school-age adolescents were examined including 809 boys and 633 girls. The main anthropometric parameters (body weight, kg, and height, cm) were measured and cardiac hemodynamics was determined at rest in the sitting position by volumetric compression oscillometry using a non-invasive hard- and software unit for central hemodynamic study. Results: Significantly higher values of cardiac output and stroke volume prevailed in boys of all age groups. The boys aged 14-17 years also demonstrated higher values of systolic blood pressure and left ventricular power output compared to girls. At the same time, the girls had higher age-specific indices of the heart rate, diastolic blood pressure, and total peripheral resistance. Conclusion: We established that the highest rates of cardiovascular functional development occur during puberty in 11 to 16-year-old boys and 11 to 13-year-old girls. Our findings showed that only 70.2 % to 77.2 % of the boys and 75.1 % to 80.2 % of the girls had blood pressure and heart rate readings within the age norm. Prehypertension was registered in 11.3 % and 10.3 % while hypertension was observed in 11.5 % and 9.5 % of the examined boys and girls, respectively. Tachycardia at rest was noted in 18 % of the boys and 20.2 % of the girls.