Could less oxygen prevent lung collapse after surgery?
NCT ID NCT06538740
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This completed study tested whether using a lower oxygen concentration (70% or 40%) instead of the usual 100% oxygen right before removing a breathing tube reduces lung collapse (atelectasis) after surgery. Forty-eight adults having elective surgery under general anesthesia took part. Researchers used a special imaging technique called electrical impedance tomography to measure lung aeration. The goal was to see if a simple change in oxygen settings could prevent a common complication without causing oxygen drops.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If lower oxygen during extubation reduces lung collapse, it could lead to safer breathing tube removal practices in surgery.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (48 patients) measuring lung changes with a specialized imaging technique, not clinical outcomes. Results may not change standard care or apply to all patients.
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
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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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48 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Sep 2024
- Finished
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May 2025
- 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: * Age ≥ 18 years * Elective surgery with general anesthesia and endotracheal intubation * Expected duration of surgery 1-5 hours * Consent obtained from patient Exclusion Criteria: * Patients with inability to give written informed consent * American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) physical status\> IV * Morbid obesity BMI \> 40 * Suspected pregnancy and lactation * Cardiac or thoracic surgery * Patients with thoracic epidural catheters * Patients with active implantable devices, such as pacemakers, cardioverter defibrillators, or neurostimulators * Compromised airways * Impaired oxygenation at baseline or during surgery
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
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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Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts, 02215, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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