In our previous study, the investigators analyzed more than 30,000 cases from the National Trauma Center Database and found that 66.4% of patients with severe blunt chest trauma had concurrent rib fractures, 55.87% had multiple fractures (≥4 ribs), and 37.4% had combined pulmonary contusion. In a further prospective observational cohort study evaluating the efficacy of EIT-guided OLE in such patients, results demonstrated that this protocol improved the ventilation-perfusion ratio and oxygenation index and shortened total mechanical ventilation duration. Based on literature review and preliminary findings, the investigators propose the following hypothesis: the application of EIT-noninvasively monitored OLE airway clearance in patients with severe blunt chest trauma can improve the ventilation-perfusion ratio, shorten mechanical ventilation time, reduce the incidence of complications such as pulmonary infection and mortality, and decrease medical resource consumption.
This study will verify this hypothesis through a prospective randomized controlled trial and further refine the specific implementation protocol of OLE to enhance its scientific validity and clinical applicability.