Zapping breathing muscles may speed ventilator weaning
NCT ID NCT07199036
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Aug 12, 2026 · Updated 5 times
Summary
This completed trial tested whether electrical stimulation of the diaphragm and abdominal muscles helps patients who have been on a breathing machine for a long time to breathe on their own sooner. 300 adults who had been on a ventilator for at least 21 days received either real stimulation, sham stimulation, or both, along with standard care. The main goal was to see how many days it took to successfully wean off the ventilator.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- electrical stimulation of breathing muscles (TEDS and abFES)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could help patients who struggle to breathe on their own get off ventilators sooner, reducing complications and hospital stays.
- What could go wrong
- This is a completed trial, but results are not yet widely confirmed. The effect may be small or not apply to all patients. Electrical stimulation may cause discomfort or skin irritation.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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300 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2025
- Finished
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Jun 2026
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Invasive mechanical ventilation ≥21 days for PMV(at least 6 hours per day); expected ≥48 h Invasive mechanical ventilation. Eligible for standardized weaning protocol and SBT assessment. Informed consent by participant or legally authorized representative. Exclusion Criteria: * Non-screenable/unstable arrhythmia or hemodynamics; refractory hypoxemia/hypercapnia. Pacemaker/ICD not shieldable; seizure disorder uncontrolled. Recent abdominal surgery or skin breakdown at electrode sites; BMI\>35; pregnancy. Prone positioning; continuous deep neuromuscular blockade; investigator deems unsuitable.
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As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital, Capital Medical University
Beijing, Shijingshan District, 100144, China
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