Evaluation of the Effect of Perioperative Recruitment Maneuver Practice on Lung Ultrasound Score and Mechanical Power in Pediatric Patients

Pulmonary atelectasis is common during general anesthesia and increases the risk of hypoxemia, especially in pediatric patients. PEEP and recruitment maneuvers (RM) are effective in preventing atelectasis. Lung ultrasound is practical for diagnosis. Mechanical power refers to the amount of energy delivered to the lung by the ventilator; excessive mechanical power can cause lung injury. Limiting mechanical power may reduce postoperative complications. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of recruitment maneuvers in preventing atelectasis using lung ultrasound during the intraoperative period, to examine the relationship between lung ultrasound scores and mechanical power, and to demonstrate the effect of recruitment maneuvers on postoperative pulmonary complications. This study is based on the hypothesis that "The recruitment maneuver reduces perioperative atelectasis and the development of related complications, and lung ultrasound can be used to detect this. The lung ultrasound score also decreases in patients with reduced mechanical force." It will be prospectively applied to pediatric patients aged 1-14 years who will undergo surgery in the operating rooms of Cerrahpaşa Medical Faculty. Patients included in the study will be prospectively randomized into 3 groups. The randomization performed using the sealed opaque envelope method.All patients will be ventilated in VG-Pressure guaranteed mode. Tidal volume will be calculated as 6-8 ml/kg of ideal body weight. GROUP 1: Fixed PEEP: 5 cmH2O, GROUP 2: PEEP: 5 cmH2O, 5 cycles, recruitment maneuver with plateau P\<35 cm H2O and vital capacity x2. GROUP 3: PEEP: 5 cmH2O, 5 cycles of recruitment maneuvers will be performed in the right and left lateral decubitus position before extubation with P\<35 cmH2O and vital capacity x2. Lung ultrasound will be performed before induction (1), 5 minutes after intubation (2), before extubation (3), and finally 5 minutes after extubation(4). Each hemithorax will be divided into 6 regions, and lung scores will be recorded. At 5 minutes after intubation and every hour there after, PeakP, PlateauP, DeltaP, Compliance, Driving Pressures, and Mechanical Work calculations will be recorded before and after the maneuver in the group undergoing the recruitment maneuver.

NCT Number	NCT07294560
Lead Sponsor	Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa
Conditions	Postoperative Pulmonary Complications, Postoperative Pulmonary Atelectasis, Pediatric Surgery
Enrollment	78 participants
Start Date	2026-02-15
Primary Completion	2026-04-15 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-07-15 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-02-11