Perioperative medicine & outcomes
Effect of electrical impedance tomography-guided positive end-expiratory pressure optimisation on postoperative pulmonary complications in laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a randomised controlled trial
Primary result · PPCs incidence, as determined by a multidisciplinary adjudication team using standardised criteriaResult — go to the resultHazard ratio 0.53 95% CI 0.33–0.85Authors' conclusion
Compared with conventional fixed PEEP of 5 cm H2O, EIT-guided PEEP was associated with a lower incidence of PPCs among patients at intermediate to high PPCs risk undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery, suggesting a role for EIT in intraoperative lung protection.
Study context
- Population
- Adults with intermediate to high risk for postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) (ARISCAT score ≥26) who underwent laparoscopic colorectal surgery
- Participants
- 117 randomised participants
- Comparison
- Intraoperative PEEP titration guided by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) or a conventional fixed PEEP of 5 cm H2O
- EIT-guided PEEPn = 59
- Fixed PEEPn = 58reference
- Primary endpoint
- PPCs incidence, as determined by a multidisciplinary adjudication team using standardised criteria
- Follow-up
- Within 30 days
Methodological detailssingle-centre, parallel-group
- Single-centre
- Parallel-group
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Hazard ratio
0.53
95% CI 0.33–0.85
P = 0.009
Events by treatment group
EIT-guided PEEP vs fixed PEEP
hazard ratio 0.53 (95% CI 0.33–0.85); P = 0.009
Further findings
Driving pressure · lower with EIT-guided PEEP
P < 0.0001
PPCs including atelectasis and pneumonia
- Occurred less frequently among participants randomised to EIT-guided PEEP
Original publication
Effect of electrical impedance tomography-guided positive end-expiratory pressure optimisation on postoperative pulmonary complications in laparoscopic colorectal surgery: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Anaesth. Published 20 October 2026. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →