Consensus Statements on Airway Clearance Interventions in Intubated Critically Ill Patients--Protocol for a Delphi Study

Launched by ACADEMISCH MEDISCH CENTRUM - UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM (AMC-UVA) · Oct 17, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how to best clear mucus from the airways of critically ill patients who are on ventilators. When patients are intubated (which means they have a tube in their throat to help them breathe), mucus can build up and make it harder for them to breathe. Different methods, like using humidifiers or suctioning, are used to help clear this mucus, but there isn't a clear agreement on which methods work best. This study will gather opinions from healthcare professionals around the world to understand which airway clearance techniques they believe are most effective.

To participate in this study, healthcare professionals need to have at least five years of experience caring for patients on ventilators and should have contributed to guidelines or published research in this area. The researchers want a diverse group of panelists, considering both gender and geographical background. While this trial is not yet recruiting participants, it aims to create a consensus on the best practices for managing airway clearance in critically ill patients, which could lead to improved care and outcomes for these patients.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Healthcare professionals will be selected as panelists based on the following criteria:
• Inclusion criteria:
• • at least 5 years of clinical experience, with care for invasively ventilated patients (teaching and non-teaching); and
• • participation in development of a guideline or authorship of at least one peer reviewed published paper in airway care for invasive ventilated patients; and
• • not more than 70% of the panelists from each sex; and from each of high and low- and middle-income countries.
• Exclusion criteria:
• • - none
• • Purposive sampling will be utilized to recruit panelists by reviewing recent publications in the field of airway care for invasive ventilated patients. Selection of panelists will be guided by predefined criteria, with deliberate efforts to ensure a balance in gender and geographical representation.