Description

Postoperative abdominal surgery patients commonly develop atelectasis, diaphragmatic dysfunction, and heterogeneous ventilation. When complicated by ARDS, ventilation-perfusion mismatch may worsen oxygenation and ventilatory efficiency. Prone positioning may be limited in this population because of abdominal incisions, drains, and intra-abdominal pressure concerns. Lateral positioning is frequently used in critical care and may improve V/Q coupling by changing gravitational gradients, chest wall mechanics, and pulmonary blood flow distribution; however, quantitative bedside evidence comparing left and right lateral positions is limited.

EIT is a radiation-free bedside functional imaging technique that can continuously monitor regional ventilation. In combination with a brief breath-hold and an intravenous tracer bolus, EIT can derive perfusion-related signals, enabling bedside quantification of V/Q matching.

In this randomized crossover study, each participant undergoes three body positions-supine position, left lateral position, and right lateral position-in a randomized order. The sequence (including whether left lateral or right lateral is performed first) is determined by random-number-based randomization. Each position stage lasts 60 minutes. After entering each position, participants are stabilized for 45 minutes before EIT measurements. EIT ventilation recording is obtained after stabilization, followed by an EIT perfusion assessment performed during a breath-hold of at least 8 seconds (actual breath-hold time recorded). During the breath-hold, a rapid intravenous tracer bolus is administered: 10 mL of 10% sodium chloride solution or 10 mL of 5% sodium bicarbonate solution, injected over 2-3 seconds via a central or peripheral venous line. Between position stages, participants return to the supine position for a 45-minute washout period. The primary endpoint is the difference in global normal V/Q (%) among the three positions. Secondary endpoints include other EIT-derived V/Q indices, oxygenation indices, respiratory mechanics, hemodynamic changes, and feasibility/safety outcomes. The primary statistical analysis required a minimum of 22 evaluable participants. Recruitment was planned to achieve at least this number to account for potential dropout. Recruitment would be terminated once sufficient evaluable subjects were obtained.