OLE airway clearance with EIT monitoring for ICU patients with pneumonia

The Effectiveness Study of OLE Airway Clearance Therapy in ICU Patients With Pulmonary Infections in EIT Evaluation.

This tests whether Oscillatory Lung Expansion (OLE) airway clearance, monitored with electrical impedance tomography (EIT), helps adult ICU patients with pulmonary infections clear secretions and improve cough strength.

Quick facts

• Phase: Not applicable
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 62 (estimated)
• Ages: 18 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: Chinese PLA General Hospital (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Beijing, Beijing Municipality)
• Trial ID: NCT07395297 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

Adults in the ICU with confirmed pulmonary infection and high sputum output will receive OLE airway clearance therapy while lung ventilation is monitored noninvasively by electrical impedance tomography (EIT). The primary outcome is peak cough flow (CPF) to measure ability to clear secretions, and the study will compare responses across patients with different causes of atelectasis. Patients on simple oxygen support (nasal cannula or face mask) and able to consent or with a legal representative will be enrolled; those requiring mechanical ventilation or vasopressors are excluded. The trial aims to link EIT-derived ventilation patterns with clinical cough performance to identify who benefits most from OLE therapy.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Adults (≥18) in the ICU with microbiologically or radiologically confirmed pulmonary infection, on oxygen therapy (not mechanically ventilated), producing >30 mL sputum per day, and able to consent or with a consenting legal representative.

Not a fit: Patients on mechanical ventilation or vasopressor support, those with untreated tension pneumothorax, implanted devices contraindicating EIT, extreme BMI >50 kg/m², or severe thoracic deformities are unlikely to benefit or be eligible.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could improve secretion clearance and reduce atelectasis, which may shorten ICU complications and recovery time.

How similar studies have performed: Related oscillatory airway clearance techniques and EIT monitoring have shown promising results in smaller or non-ICU studies, but applying OLE with EIT specifically in ICU pneumonia patients is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Clearly diagnosed with pulmonary infection in the ICU, confirmed by microbiological tests (sputum culture, blood culture, etc.) or imaging tests (chest CT, chest X-ray);
2. Age ≥ 18 years;
3. Respiratory support is oxygen therapy (nasal cannula or face mask oxygen therapy);
4. Sputum volume \> 30 ml/day;
5. The patient or their legal representative signs the informed consent form.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Pregnant or breastfeeding women;
2. Presence of respiratory or circulatory failure (requiring mechanical ventilation or vasopressor support to maintain circulation);
3. Untreated tension pneumothorax;
4. Body Mass Index (BMI) exceeding 50 kg/m²;
5. Rib deformities or severe thoracic deformities;
6. Contraindications for the use of EIT (such as implanted automatic cardiac defibrillators, acute chest trauma, subcutaneous implanted pumps, etc.);
7. Early withdrawal from the study or incomplete clinical data.

Where this trial is running

Beijing, Beijing Municipality

• Chinese PLA Hospital — Beijing, Beijing Municipality, China (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: kaifei wang, Doctor

Conditions Pneumonia