Pre- and postoperative positive expiratory pressure (PEP) chest therapy to prevent hospital-acquired pneumonia

Pre- and Postoperative Chest Therapy With Positive Expiratory Pressure (PEP) to Prevent Hospital-acquired Pneumonia in Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery

Not applicable Interventional University Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg · NCT07189260

This will see if using positive expiratory pressure (PEP) chest therapy before and after hip fracture surgery prevents hospital-acquired pneumonia in patients who can give informed consent.

Quick facts

PhaseNot applicable
Study typeInterventional
Enrollment566 (estimated)
Ages18 Years and up
SexAll
SponsorUniversity Hospital Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg Academic / other
Locations2 sites (Copenhagen and 1 other locations)
Trial IDNCT07189260 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

This randomized interventional study compares systematic PEP chest therapy given before and after surgery with usual care alone in patients admitted with a hip fracture. Participants in the PEP arm will be asked to perform PEP therapy four times daily during hospitalization and log each session and any reasons for missed sessions on a paper checklist. The trial excludes patients with pneumonia or delirium on admission, pneumothorax, or those unable to consent, and enrolls cognitively well-functioning Danish-speaking residents of two Danish regions. Investigators will also collect information on barriers to performing PEP therapy in this patient group.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are cognitively well-functioning adults with a hip fracture who can understand Danish, give informed consent, and are residents of Region Hovedstaden or Region Sjælland.

Not a fit: Patients with existing pneumonia, delirium, pneumothorax, or those unable to consent or perform the therapy are unlikely to benefit from this intervention.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, the approach could reduce the number of hospital-acquired pneumonia cases after hip fracture and lower related complications and hospital stays.

How similar studies have performed: Some perioperative respiratory-therapy trials (mainly after abdominal or thoracic surgery) have shown reduced pulmonary complications, but evidence specifically in hip-fracture patients is limited.

Eligibility criteria

Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria:

* Hip fracture regardless of age
* Cognitively well-functioning
* Able to understand the study and give informed consent
* Able to speak and understand Danish
* Resident of Region Hovedstaden or Region Sjælland

Exclusion Criteria:

* Cognitively impaired
* Unable to understand the study and give informed consent
* Pneumonia upon admission
* Delirium upon admission
* Pneumothorax

For patients with e.g. dementia or brain injury, the ability to give informed consent will be assessed individually.

Where this trial is running

Copenhagen and 1 other locations

How to participate

  1. Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
  2. Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
  3. Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions Hip Fractureship fracturepneumoniaPEP therapypositive expiratory pressureRCThospital-acquired pneumoniasystematic treatment with PEP
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.