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RecruitmEnt Assessed by eleCtRical Impedance Tomography

RecruitmEnt Assessed by eleCtRical Impedance Tomography: Feasibility, Correlation With Clinical oUtcomes and pIloT Data on Personalised PEEP Selection.

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Observational
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04460859
Acronym
RECRUIT
Enrollment
171
Registered
2020-07-08
Start date
2020-06-09
Completion date
2027-06-30
Last updated
2025-05-20

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS)

Keywords

Mechanical Ventilation, Lung recruitment, ARDS, Electrical impedance tomography

Brief summary

The RECRUIT study is a multinational, multicenter physiological observational study conducted by the PLUG working group. It is a single-day study (1.5-2 hours) associated with specific lung (de)recruitment maneuvers to verify the feasibility of measuring the potential for lung recruitment in mechanically ventilated patients with ARDS by electrical impedance tomography (EIT).

Detailed description

Despite higher positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) being associated with multiple physiologic benefits, randomized clinical trials comparing higher vs. lower PEEP levels failed to show improved survival of ARDS patients. Higher PEEP should fully exploit its benefits only when implemented in patients with higher potential for alveolar recruitment (i.e., the decrease of non-aerated lung tissue at higher airway pressure) or in patients with airway closure. Retrospective analysis of randomised clinical trials with PEEP suggests that when high PEEP is used in responders (oxygenation), survival may be better. Conversely, in the absence of significant recruitment, higher PEEP should be avoided and lower PEEP might be recommended. Titration of PEEP provided by the mechanical ventilator in patients with severe lung injury should thus be based on bedside information on lung recruitability. However, no valid method exists to define the best PEEP to optimize recruitment and minimize lung overdistention. Recruitability varies and is often not assessed. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive bedside imaging technique for measuring the potential for lung recruitment in ARDS patients. By performing lung (de)recruitment maneuvers and in-depth analyses, we will define lung recruitability indices and develop methods for real-time and personalized PEEP selection. This study will prove the feasibility of minimizing risks associated with inadequate mechanical ventilation by EIT.

Interventions

OTHERSpecific lung recruitment maneuvers

Specific lung recruitment maneuvers will be performed to measure the potential for lung recruitment at different levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) provided by the mechanical ventilator. Electrical impedance tomography signals, synchronized signals of airway pressure and flow, esophageal pressure (if available), and volumetric capnography (if available) will be recorded continuously, during the time span of the protocol for offline analysis.

Sponsors

Unity Health Toronto
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Observational model
OTHER
Time perspective
PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Intubated moderate and severe ARDS according to the Berlin definition (PaO2/FiO2 ratio \<= 200 mmHg) * Under continuous sedation with or without paralysis

Exclusion criteria

* Age \<18 years * Bronchopleural fistula * Pure COPD exacerbation * Contraindication to EIT monitoring (e.g. burns, pacemaker, thoracic wounds limiting electrode belt placement) * Hemodynamic instability (Systolic BP \< 75 mmHg or MAP \< 60 mmHg despite vasopressors and/or heart rate \< 55 bpm) * Attending physician deems the transient application of high airway pressures to be unsafe

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Potential for lung recruitment2 hoursThe potential for lung recruitment will be assessed with EIT. Several methods will be used and compared, based on e.g. pixel information of lung aeration, and pressure-volume characteristics at different PEEP steps.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
EIT-based optimum PEEP level2 hours
PEEP level resulting in end-expiratory transpulmonary pressure between 0 and 2 cmH2O2 hoursFor those patients with esophageal pressure measurements available
Recruitment-to-inflation (R/I) ratio2 hours
Vital status at ICU discharge, 28 days, and hospital dischargeThrough study completion, up to 1 yearVital status (death/alive) will be assessed via chart review
Ventilator free daysDay 28
Organ dysfunction as per the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) scoreDay 1, 3, 7SOFA score min-max: 0-24; a higher score is associated with poor prognosis.

Countries

Brazil, Canada, Italy, Spain

Contacts

Primary ContactLaurent Brochard, MD
Laurent.Brochard@unityhealth.to416-864-5686

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 23, 2026