Pulmonary Function by Litter Position

Conditions

• Hypothermia Due to Cold Environment
• Trauma Patients

Eligibility Criteria

Sex

ALL

Age

18 Years - 65 Years

Healthy Volunteers

Accepted

Interventions

• LItter position PFTs — OTHER
  Testing basic pulmonary function in three positions in a rescue litter, compared to sitting baseline

Study Details

A litter is often needed to extract a person from an austere environment like the wilderness or from confined, urban spaces. A horizontal litter is generally assumed to be better for patient care, but often makes for a more difficult, if not impossible, evacuation from some settings such as confined space rescue, cave rescue, or wilderness rescue when the litter must be moved up or down a cliff with an undercut edge. A litter in a vertical orientation is easier to move in these situations, which may expedite movement towards definitive care. In some wilderness rescue circles, the mantra is that movement IS definitive care. It is already known that lying flat on the ground negatively affects pulmonary function compared to a sitting baseline.1 It is possible that a vertically oriented litter is better for a subset of patients with respiratory issues than a horizontal litter. The investigators hypothesize that pulmonary function measured by FEV1, FVC, and FEV1/FVC, is better in simulated patients in a vertically oriented litter compared to a horizontally oriented one.

Key Dates

Start date

Feb 15, 2026

Status verified

Apr 2026

Primary completion

Apr 1, 2026

Completion

Apr 30, 2026

Study Design

Enrollment

12 participants (estimated)

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

SEQUENTIAL

Primary purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Arms

• Active Comparator: Flat
  Secured in a flat litter
• Active Comparator: Vertical
  Secured in a vertical litter
• Active Comparator: Pitched forward
  Secured in a litter leaning forward
• Placebo Comparator: Baseline
  Sitting baseline pulmonary function

Primary Outcome Measure

Forced Vital Capacity [ Time Frame: Immediately ]

Locations (1)

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