EIT-Guided Visual Feedback During Incentive Spirometry for Postoperative Atelectasis (NCT07681232) | Clinical Trial Compass
Not Yet RecruitingNot Applicable
EIT-Guided Visual Feedback During Incentive Spirometry for Postoperative Atelectasis
China60 participantsStarted 2026-07-01
Plain-language summary
This single-center randomized controlled trial will evaluate whether real-time visual feedback from electrical impedance tomography (EIT) improves the immediate distribution of lung ventilation during incentive spirometry in adults with postoperative atelectasis. Approximately 60 participants will be randomized 1:1 to receive either EIT-guided visual feedback or standardized verbal guidance during one session of 30 incentive-spirometry breaths. The primary outcome is the change in dorsal ventilation fraction from before training to 5 minutes after training. Secondary outcomes include inspiratory capacity, ventilation homogeneity, dependent silent spaces, end-expiratory lung impedance, oxygenation, in-hospital intubation or reintubation, and intervention-related adverse events.
Who can participate
Age range
18 Years
Sex
ALL
See this in plain English?
AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.
Inclusion criteria
. Age 18 years or older.
. Admitted to an intensive care unit or postoperative monitoring unit after major thoracic or upper-abdominal surgery; tracheal tube removed; spontaneously breathing; and clinically stable.
. Alert and able to understand and follow incentive-spirometry and EIT instructions.
. Bedside lung ultrasound shows atelectasis or markedly reduced aeration in dorsal or posterolateral lung regions, with the lung-ultrasound assessment recorded.
. Baseline EIT during quiet breathing in a semi-recumbent position shows insufficient dorsal ventilation with potential for improvement; dorsal ventilation fraction below 50%.
. Written informed consent provided by the participant or legally authorized representative according to the ethics-approved process, with participant re-consent when decision-making capacity returns.
Questions worth asking your doctor
Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.
1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?
Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.
Questions for the trial coordinator
The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.
1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?
A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.
What they're measuring
1
Change in Dorsal Ventilation Fraction
Timeframe: Baseline and 5 minutes after completion of the single intervention session
. Ongoing invasive mechanical ventilation or noninvasive ventilation, or high-flow nasal oxygen when study conditions cannot be maintained stably.
. Hemodynamic instability or inability to tolerate a semi-recumbent position.
. Inability to cooperate with training or impaired consciousness.
. Unsuitable for EIT monitoring, including an implanted pacemaker or defibrillator incompatible with the device, severe skin disease at the electrode-belt site, or known relevant allergy.
. Severe underlying pulmonary disease likely to substantially affect ventilation distribution and obscure the intervention effect.
. Chest-wall deformity or severe scoliosis affecting EIT image quality.