Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40868940›Full record

ArticleLife (Basel, Switzerland)2025

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

Andrea A Esmeijer, Prashant Nasa, George Ntoumenopoulos, Denise Battaglini, Deven Juneja, Lorenzo Ball, Stephan Ehrmann, Marcus J Schultz, Frederique Paulus, Willemke Stilma

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Life (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Andrea A EsmeijerDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0009-0003-7230-8434
Prashant NasaDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-1948-4060
George NtoumenopoulosDepartment of Physiotherapy, Royal Perth Hospital, Wellington Road, Perth, WA 6000, Australia.
Denise BattagliniAnesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16131 Genoa, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6895-6442
Deven JunejaInstitute of Critical Care Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, New Delhi 110017, India.
Lorenzo BallAnesthesia and Intensive Care, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, 16131 Genoa, Italy.
Stephan EhrmannMédecine Intensive Réanimation, CIC INSERM 1415, CRICS-TriggerSep F-CRIN Research Network, CHRU Hospital Tours, 37044 Tours, France.
Marcus J SchultzDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0003-3969-7792
Frederique PaulusDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Willemke StilmaDepartment of Intensive Care Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID 0000-0002-7581-1321

Funding

Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (ZonMW Goed Gebruik Geneesmiddelen), grant number 836021016.
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intubated critically ill patients are susceptible to secretion accumulation because of compromised airway clearance. Various airway clearance interventions are employed to prevent complications arising from mucus retention. This Delphi study aims to collect global opinions in an international expert panel of ICU professionals on the usefulness of these various airway clearance interventions. A steering committee performed a literature search informing the formulation of statements. Statements are grouped into two distinct parts: (1) Humidification and Nebulization, and (2) Suctioning and Mucus mobilization techniques. For each part, a diverse panel of 30-40 experts will be selected, with concerted effort to involve experts from various medical specialties involved in airway clearance methods. Multiple choice questions (MCQs) or 7-point Likert-scale statements will be used in the iterative Delphi rounds to reach consensus on various airway clearance interventions. Rounds will continue until stability is achieved for all statements. Consensus will be deemed achieved when a choice in MCQs or a Likert-scale statement achieves ≥75% agreement or disagreement. Starting from the second round of the Delphi process, stability will be assessed using non-parametric χ

Indexed as

adult intensive & critical careairway care interventionsairway clearanceDelphi studyhumidificationmucus mobilization techniquesnebulizationrespiratory therapysuctioning

Identifiers

PMID40868940
PMCPMC12387527

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.