Ventilation dIstribution and effeCt of posTural Lateralization On Traumatic Lung injuRY: a Physiological Study

This is a single-center, prospective, physiological study. The study will enroll the traumatic lung injury patient who has at least 2 rib fractures requiring mechanical ventilation being on partially assisted breathing mode and on activity as tolerated (AAT) order with or without C-collar. Once being confirmed to meet the inclusion criteria, the research team will apply the EIT on the patient and start recording as well as perform lung ultrasound in the specific areas of interest in the selected time points of the study. The MV ventilator setting and some vital sign data will be also collected at selected time points of study. The EIT will continuously record from 5 minutes when patient is on supine position, then the investigators will turn patient using positioning wedge pillow to the sides with 30-minute EIT recording each side, lastly, the investigators will turn patient back to supine and continuously record for 30 minutes. The study will use the same protocol to perform in 3 different settings of mechanical ventilation (weaning process) i.) during partially assisted breathing, ii.) during high setting of spontaneous breathing and iii.) during low setting of spontaneous breathing.