EIT-Guided Respiratory Physiotherapy for Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation (PMV)

Recruiting now · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation, Respiratory Failure, Critical Illness

In brief

Patients with prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) frequently experience impaired ventilation distribution, respiratory muscle dysfunction, secretion retention, and delayed liberation from mechanical ventilation. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) provides real-time bedside visualization of regional ventilation and enables individualized respiratory physiotherapy strategies. This multicenter randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate whether EIT-guided respiratory physiotherapy improves ventilator-free days at day 28 compared with conventional respiratory physiotherapy in adult patients with PMV. Respiratory physiotherapy consists of airway clearance, chest physiotherapy techniques, breathing pattern optimization, and therapeutic positioning. In the EIT-guided group, real-time EIT imaging is used to individualize physiotherapy strategies based on predefined ventilation distribution indicators, while the control group receives standardized physiotherapy according to institutional protocols without EIT guidance. Secondary outcomes include successful liberation from mechanical ventilation, diaphragm ultrasound parameters, EIT-derived ventilation distribution indices (exploratory mechanistic outcomes), ICU Mobility Scale, healthcare resource utilization, and safety outcomes.

Key facts

Study ID

NCT07372794

Run by

Capital Medical University

People needed

200

Starts

2026-02-16

Expected to finish

2026-12-15

Last updated by the study team

2026-05-04

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: not accepted.

You may qualify if…

• Age ≥ 18 years.
• Invasive mechanical ventilation for ≥ 21 consecutive days.
• Clinically stable and eligible for respiratory physiotherapy as determined by the treating team.
• Expected to remain on invasive mechanical ventilation for at least 48 hours after enrollment.
• Written informed consent obtained from the patient or legally authorized representative.

You may not qualify if…

• Contraindications to electrical impedance tomography .
• Hemodynamic instability requiring high-dose vasoactive support.
• Severe hypoxemia refractory to optimization.
• Unstable fractures or other contraindications to mobilization or positioning.
• Pregnancy.
• Expected death within 48 hours.

Where it is running

• Beijing Rehabilitation Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (enrolling)

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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