Clinical Research Directory

Evaluating Respiratory Effects of Driving Pressure Guided Mechanical Ventilation Using Electrical Impedance Tomography in Patients Undergoing Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Radical Prostatectomy is a method increasingly used for prostate cancer due to fewer complications, morbidity, and mortality compared to other methods. The technique involves inflating the abdomen with carbon dioxide to provide visualization and working in a steep Trendelenburg position, which puts pressure on the lungs and can cause them to collapse. The functional residual capacity reduction caused by general anesthesia, combined with the negative effects of the position, increases the risk of significant respiratory system complications during and after surgery. Lung protective ventilation strategies can reduce the incidence of postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC) by alleviating iatrogenic injury to previously healthy lungs. Apart from a low tidal volume (VT), applying positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) can minimize the risk of atelectasis and/or overdistension. There is limited information on how to adjust optimal PEEP under increased intra-abdominal pressure during laparoscopy. A meta-analysis study on acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) patients showed that high driving pressure (plateau pressure - PEEP) is the most associated value with mortality. It was shown that VT, plateau pressure, and PEEP are not related to patient outcomes or only when they affect driving pressure. Subsequent retrospective and prospective studies confirmed the importance of driving pressure in ARDS patients and surgical patients. For patients under mechanical ventilation, applying a personalized PEEP that provides the lowest driving pressure, along with maneuvers to open closed alveoli (recruitment), reduces respiratory system complications during and after surgery. One method to visualize the effects of these maneuvers and the ideal PEEP application, which provides the lowest driving pressure for the patient, is electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a non-invasive, radiation-free bedside imaging technique. EIT, measured with 16 electrodes placed on an elastic belt around the patient\'s 4th to 6th ribs, shows impedance changes in the lungs. This method successfully visualizes and evaluates dynamic changes in gas distribution within the lungs and has been validated by computed tomography scans, proving safe for use in both adults and pediatric patients. EIT divides the lungs into four layers from ventral to dorsal, showing the percentage distribution of tidal volume in these regions. Examining the relative impedance changes allows for observing gas volume distribution entering the lungs and evaluating regional lung characteristics. Therefore, EIT can contribute to examining the PEEP value that ensures homogeneous gas distribution in the lungs and preventing ventilator-associated lung injury. The aim of our study is to evaluate the effect of driving pressure guided mechanical ventilation on lung gas distribution during robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy through respiratory parameters recorded by EIT during surgery and perioperative period and to compare perioperative pulmonary complications with traditional ventilation methods

Cohort Study of Intraoperative Lung Protective Ventilation Trends in a Large Canadian Health Authority

The goal of this observational study is to ascertain the practice patterns and predictors in performing lung protective ventilation as per clinical guidelines for adult patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery in Fraser Health Authority, a large Canadian authority in the lower mainland of British Columbia, Canada. In particular, the investigators explore changes before/after the COVID-19 pandemic. The main questions it aims to answer are: * In this population, what is the general compliance rate to lung protective ventilation * In this population, what are the predictors of compliance before/after the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a retrospective study using linked patient data from two databases in the health region: the anesthesia informational management system for intraoperative data, and the electronic medical record for perioperative data. Rationale for study: Breathing problems after surgery affect 5% to 33% of patients and can lead to serious issues like lung infections, breathing failure, and longer hospital stays, with up to a 20% risk of death within 30 days for serious cases. A proven way to reduce these risks is lung protective ventilation (LPV), a technique used during surgery where the ventilator delivers smaller breaths based on clinical guidelines and calculated using a person's ideal body weight, while applying gentle pressure to keep the lungs slightly open. While this approach has been widely adopted in intensive care units over the past 20 years, it's less commonly used in operating rooms, with fewer than half of surgeries using it. Barriers include suboptimal default ventilator settings, patients at extremes of weight, and misunderstandings of LPV among clinicians. During the COVID-19 pandemic, LPV use increased for patients with COVID-related lung problems, showing improved survival rates in ICUs. However, it's unclear if this practice carried over to surgical patients at-large or continued after the pandemic. Most studies on LPV during surgery have been conducted outside Canada, where healthcare practices and education may differ from within Canada. To address these gaps, the investigators aim to study LPV use during surgery in a large Canadian health system, identify factors that influence its use, and examine trends during and after the COVID pandemic. This research will help improve patient care by promoting the use of this effective technique in Canadian operating rooms.

Unilateral Ventilation on Cardiopulmonary Bypass During Cardiac Surgery

This study investigates if single lung ventilation on cardiopulmonary bypass can mitigate postoperative lung water accumulation determined by lung ultrasound in the ventilated lung as compared to the non-ventilated lung in patients at high-risk for developing severe pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery.

Intraoperative Lung Mechanics Changes During HoLEP Surgery

This study aims to evaluate changes in driving pressure and static lung compliance during HoLEP surgery and to investigate their relationship with surgical and perioperative factors. This study is observational, and no changes will be made to the patients' current treatment processes.

Driving Pressure Guided Mechanical Ventilation Versus Lung Protective Ventilation Among Patients Undergoing Elective Surgeries

Patient undergoing surgeries in general anesthesia require support of their breathing by ventilator. Different strategies can be used to manage breathing of the patient. Lung protective ventilation provides breathing at a set volume determined by patient ideal body weight, along with a set rate to maintain adequate breathing. The pressures in the lower airway are kept less than 30 cm of H20 while a pressure of 5cm of H20 is applied to prevent lung collapse. Recently to above mentioned regimen a driving pressure is added which is a difference between lower airway pressure and pressure applied to prevent lung collapse. Ventilatory settings are adjusted to keep this driving pressure less than 15 cm of H2O.

Effect of Different Depths of Neuromuscular Blockade on Respiratory Mechanics in Patients With Moderate-severe Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is characterized by acute diffuse alveolar injury caused by a variety of pulmonary and extrapulmonary factors, leading to refractory hypoxemia. It has high incidence and mortality rates. Neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs) play a crucial role as adjunctive therapy for ARDS, aiding in lung-protective ventilation by inhibiting excessive spontaneous breathing, improving patient-ventilator synchrony, and reducing barotrauma. Determining the appropriate depth of muscle relaxation in moderate to severe ARDS patients receiving NMBAs remains a clinical challenge. Research has shown that partial neuromuscular blockade is feasible in certain ARDS patients. However, large randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical practices often use higher doses of NMBAs to ensure complete cessation of spontaneous breathing. This indicates an ongoing debate regarding the optimal depth of neuromuscular blockade necessary for lung-protective ventilation in ARDS patients. It also raises the question of whether the optimal depth of neuromuscular blockade varies among patients with different severities of ARDS. This study aims to investigate changes in respiratory mechanics and other physiological parameters in moderate to severe ARDS patients under different depths of neuromuscular blockade. The investigators will evaluate the impact of targeted neuromuscular blockade depth on lung protection in these patients.