Effectiveness of postural lung recruitment on postoperative atelectasis assessed by lung ultrasound in children undergoing lateral thoracotomy cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass

Objectives To assess the effects of postural lung recruitment maneuvers on the postoperative atelectasis assessed by lung ultrasound (LUS) compared with supine position recruitment maneuvers in children undergoing right lateral thoracotomy cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. Methods In this randomized and controlled trial, 84 patients aged 3 years or younger, scheduled for right lateral thoracotomy cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) were randomly allocated to postural lung recruitment group or control group. The first LUS exam was performed immediately upon completion of the cardiac surgery (T1), and a repeat ultrasound exam started 1 min after lung recruitment maneuvers (T2). The primary outcome was the incidence of significant atelectasis at T2. Results The incidence of significant atelectasis at T2 in the postural lung recruitment maneuver group was lower compared with that in the control group (30.2% vs. 58.1%; odds ratio: 0.31; 95% confidence interval: 0.13-0.76; p = .009). The LUS scores for consolidations and B-lines of the left lung were higher than those of the right lung in both groups at T1. More significant reduction of the left LUS scores and sizes of atelectatic areas were found in the postural lung recruitment group than those in the control group. Conclusions Postoperative postural recruitment maneuver was more effective to improve reaeration of lung than supine position recruitment maneuver in children undergoing right lateral thoracotomy cardiac surgery with CPB.

Automated summary

Postural lung recruitment maneuvers were more effective in improving lung reaeration than supine position recruitment maneuvers in children undergoing right lateral thoracotomy cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass. The incidence of significant atelectasis was lower in the postural lung recruitment group compared to the control group, and there was a more significant reduction in left lung consolidation and atelectatic areas in the postural lung recruitment group.