Stress Index

Stress Index is a very useful tool to determine the optimal ventilation settings for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).

With FluxMed monitors it is very easy to measure the patient's Stress Index. The only requirement is to connect the monitor to the patient and set the ventilator to a constant waveform.

The idea of this index is to quantify the curvature of the airway pressure waveform when ventilated with a constant flow. If the value is below 0.9, it reflects that the patient is ventilated in a recruitment derecruiting cycle. If the value is above 1.1 the patient is hyperinflated. If the value is in between 0.9 and 1.1, the patient is ventilated in the safe-zone.

With this tool is very easy to set PEEP and VT in ARDS patients avoiding alveolar collapse and overdistension.

Related literature:
Grasso et al “ARDSnet Ventilatory Protocol and Alveolar Hyperinflation: Role of Positive End-Expiratory Pressure” Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2007;176:761-767”.