Measuring breathing effort before and after removing the breathing tube
Official title: Inspiratory Work of Breathing Before and After Extubation
Run by University Health Network, Toronto · NCT07017608 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This will test a new electrical impedance method to measure breathing effort in adults on ventilators as they try breathing on their own and after the breathing tube is removed.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 67 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | University Health Network, Toronto Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Toronto, Ontario) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2020 |
| Main results expected | June 2026 |
| Study ends | December 2026 |
| Registry record updated | June 12, 2025 |
| Trial ID | NCT07017608 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adults who are intubated, mechanically ventilated, and pass a readiness-to-wean screen at Toronto General Hospital are the intended participants.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients who cannot tolerate esophageal catheter placement, have thoracic skin issues preventing electrode placement, or are not candidates for extubation are unlikely to benefit.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
At Toronto General Hospital, adult patients who are intubated and pass readiness-to-wean screening will undergo spontaneous breathing trials using zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP) and CPAP at 5 cmH2O. Investigators will use electrical impedance tomography and, where appropriate, esophageal pressure monitoring to quantify inspiratory work of breathing before and after extubation. This is an observational protocol comparing breathing effort across SBT techniques and tracking immediate changes after removal of the endotracheal tube. Patients with contraindications to esophageal catheter insertion or to electrical impedance tomography are excluded.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help clinicians choose SBT settings that reduce breathing effort and lower the risk of failed extubation.
How similar studies have gone: Similar physiologic studies using esophageal pressure and electrical impedance tomography have described differences in work of breathing, but optimal SBT technique remains inconclusive.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adult patients intubated and ventilated Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindication for esophageal catheter insertion: upper gastrointestinal surgery within prior 6 weeks, actively bleeding esophageal varices * Bronchopleural fistula * Contraindication for electrical impedance tomography: chest burns, skin lesions in the thorax, chest wall bandaging limiting electrode placement, unstable spinal lesions or fractures * Pregnancy
Where it's running
-
Toronto General Hospital, University Health Network
Toronto, Ontario, Canada Recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Ewan Goligher, MD — University Health Network, Toronto
- Study coordinator: Glauco Plens, MD
- Email: Glauco.Plens@uhn.ca
- Phone: 416-340-4800
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.