Snow Properties and Its Modeling for Studying Gas Exchange Under the Simulated Avalanche Snow (SPAM)

The aim of the study is to investigate respiratory parameters of a person in the simulated avalanche snow and consequent use of the measured data for development of a mathematical-physical model of breathing during increasing hypercapnia in the avalanche.

Study Overview

• Status: Unknown
• Conditions: Accident Caused by Snow Avalanche
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow

Detailed Description

The study is a part of a university research project aimed at studying physiological conditions and development of breathing parameters of a person breathing in the simulated avalanche snow. Presence of an air pocket and its size play an important role in survival of victims buried in the avalanche snow. Even small air pockets facilitate breathing, yet they do not provide a significant amount of fresh air for breathing. The investigators hypothesize that the size of the air pocket significantly affects the airflow resistance and work of breathing. The aim of the study is to investigate the effect of the air pocket volume on gas exchange and work of breathing in subjects breathing into the simulated avalanche snow.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 45
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Czechia
  • Kladno, Czechia, 272 01
    • Czech Technical University, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering
  • Prague, Czechia, 162 00
    • Charles University, Czech Republic

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 50 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy and fit volunteers, classified as The American Society of Anesthesiologists class I
• without a smoking history

Exclusion Criteria:

• Tiffeneau Index less than 0.70
• any cardiovascular or respiratory condition

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

4

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Wet snow/Small air pocket; Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow. Breathing into model of wet avalanche snow with a small air pocket	Other: Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow; Breathing in the simulated wet or dry avalanche snow with a small or large air pocket
Experimental: Dry snow/Small air pocket; Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow. Breathing into model of dry avalanche snow with a small air pocket	Other: Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow; Breathing in the simulated wet or dry avalanche snow with a small or large air pocket
Experimental: Wet snow/Large air pocket; Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow. Breathing into model of wet avalanche snow with a large air pocket	Other: Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow; Breathing in the simulated wet or dry avalanche snow with a small or large air pocket
Experimental: Dry snow/Large air pocket; Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow. Breathing into model of dry avalanche snow with a large air pocket	Other: Breathing in the simulated avalanche snow; Breathing in the simulated wet or dry avalanche snow with a small or large air pocket

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
The length of breathing	Time to termination of the breathing experiment due to the decision of the tested subject, or determined by high end-tidal carbon dioxide value or by the order by the clinician assessing the health status of the subjects.	Continuously within 30 minute interval from the beginning of the breathing experiment

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Czech Technical University in Prague
• Collaborators: Charles University, Czech Republic; Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces of the Czech Republic
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Karel Roubik, PhD, Czech Technical University in Prague, FBMI

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Brugger H, Sumann G, Meister R, Adler-Kastner L, Mair P, Gunga HC, Schobersberger W, Falk M. Hypoxia and hypercapnia during respiration into an artificial air pocket in snow: implications for avalanche survival. Resuscitation. 2003 Jul;58(1):81-8. doi: 10.1016/s0300-9572(03)00113-8.
• Bellani G, Patroniti N, Weismann D, Galbiati L, Curto F, Foti G, Pesenti A. Measurement of pressure-time product during spontaneous assisted breathing by rapid interrupter technique. Anesthesiology. 2007 Mar;106(3):484-90. doi: 10.1097/00000542-200703000-00012.
• Grissom CK, Radwin MI, Harmston CH, Hirshberg EL, Crowley TJ. Respiration during snow burial using an artificial air pocket. JAMA. 2000 May 3;283(17):2266-71. doi: 10.1001/jama.283.17.2266.
• Roubik K, Sieger L, Sykora K. Work of Breathing into Snow in the Presence versus Absence of an Artificial Air Pocket Affects Hypoxia and Hypercapnia of a Victim Covered with Avalanche Snow: A Randomized Double Blind Crossover Study. PLoS One. 2015 Dec 14;10(12):e0144332. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144332. eCollection 2015.
• Strapazzon G, Paal P, Schweizer J, Falk M, Reuter B, Schenk K, Gatterer H, Grasegger K, Dal Cappello T, Malacrida S, Riess L, Brugger H. Effects of snow properties on humans breathing into an artificial air pocket - an experimental field study. Sci Rep. 2017 Dec 15;7(1):17675. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-17960-4.
• Roubik K, Sykora K, Sieger L, Ort V, Horakova L, Walzel S. Perlite is a suitable model material for experiments investigating breathing in high density snow. Sci Rep. 2022 Feb 8;12(1):2070. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-06015-y.

Helpful Links

• Work of Breathing into Snow in the Presence versus Absence of an Artificial Air Pocket Affects Hypoxia and Hypercapnia of a Victim Covered with Avalanche Snow: A Randomized Double Blind Crossover Study

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 29, 2018
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): May 20, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): May 20, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: January 22, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: January 22, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): January 29, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 25, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 24, 2021
• Last Verified: February 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: work of breathing; hypercapnia; snow; avalanche
• Other Study ID Numbers: VentRes-2018-01-KR

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No