A study on healthy patients undergoing anesthesia for non-abdominal surgery - evaluation of positive end-expiratory pressure versus zero positive end-expiratory pressure on the amount of atelectasis in the early postoperative period.
Positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) is often used during mechanical ventilation to preserve end-expiratory lung volume. After emergence and extubation, this volume will diminish instantly. Some patients will have difficulties to restore functional residual capacity (FRC) during the early phase of recovery. If routine high FIO2 has been delivered together with maintained PEEP prior to extubation, several important prerequisites are established for the development of postoperative atelectasis. The investigators hypothesize that establishing zero positive end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) immediately prior to emergence preoxygenation, will prevent gas with high oxygen concentration from entering dorso-basal areas of the lungs, and thereby prevent postoperative atelectasis formation. This randomized controlled study will study patients undergoing non-abdominal day case surgeries under general anesthesia. The patients in the two study groups will receive mechanical ventilation with identical settings, comprising low TV, moderate PEEP, and no RM. At the end of surgery, the lungs will be examined by CT, and any atelectasis areas will be calculated. Randomization will occur after the first CT. The patients will be allocated to zero PEEP (ZEEP) or maintained PEEP during emergence preoxygenation and extubation. Importantly, the intervention group will have ZEEP established while still having low ETO2 levels, prior to any preoxygenation. The study subjects will be examined with CT no.2 approximately thirty min after extubation. Primary endpoint measure will be atelectasis area as a percentage of total lung area. Blood gases will be collected for comparison of oxygenation as a secondary outcome measure.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE
Enrollment
30
Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
Köping, Sweden
Change in atelectasis area
Atelectasis area as studied by computed tomography.
Time frame: Within 3 hours from induction of anesthesia. First CT after surgery, before emergence. Second CT approx 25 min after extubation. Study complete after that, no further CT.
Change in oxygenation
Arterial blood samples will be collected for measurement of arterial oxygen partial pressure.
Time frame: Within 3 hours from induction of anesthesia. First blood gas after surgery, before emergence. Second approx 25 min after extubation. Study complete after that, no further blood gases.
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