ArticleSystematic reviews2026
Non-pharmacological perioperative interventions to prevent postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in Systematic reviews, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Non-drug perioperative interventions to reduce postoperative pulmonary complications after abdominal surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2026Pooled it
- Explainable artificial intelligence for postoperative analgesia risk stratification and clinical decision support in abdominal surgery.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPostoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are common following abdominal surgery, contributing significantly to perioperative morbidity and mortality, prolonged hospitalization, and increased healthcare costs. Although various non-pharmacological strategies are frequently recommended in perioperative care, their comparative clinical effectiveness remains unclear. A rigorous synthesis of the available evidence is urgently needed to inform clinical guidelines and optimize patient outcomes.
methodsA comprehensive literature search will be conducted in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, and Web of Science from inception to January 2025, without language restrictions. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluate structured single non-pharmacological perioperative interventions in adult patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery under general anesthesia. Only studies that clearly define PPCs will be included. The primary outcome is the proportion of patients developing composite PPCs. Secondary outcomes include each PPC subtype based on European Perioperative Clinical Outcome (EPCO) criteria (e.g., respiratory infection, respiratory failure, pleural effusion, atelectasis, or pneumothorax), hospital length of stay, and all-cause mortality. Two reviewers will independently screen studies, extract data, and assess risk of bias using the Cochrane RoB 2.0 tool. Pairwise random-effects meta-analyses using the Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) estimator will be performed, supplemented by trial sequential analysis to assess evidence robustness. Between-study heterogeneity will be quantified using I DISCUSSION: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to provide an updated and focused synthesis of non-pharmacological interventions for preventing PPCs in adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery. By incorporating recent high-quality RCTs and applying rigorous evaluation methods, the review is expected to generate evidence directly applicable to perioperative practice, enhance clinical decision-making, support guideline development, and highlight critical areas for future research. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42025637449.
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Registered trials
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