Association of intraoperative end-tidal CO₂ levels with postoperative outcomes: a patient-level analysis of two randomised clinical trials.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The relationship between intraoperative end-tidal CO₂ (etCO₂) levels and postoperative outcomes remains unclear. We conducted a post hoc analysis of two randomised trials in adults undergoing major surgery under general anaesthesia.

Methods

We re-analysed individual participant data comparing high or low positive end-expiratory pressure with low tidal volume intraoperative ventilation using a merged database derived from two randomised trials in non-obese (PROVHILO: ISRCTN70332574) and obese (PROBESE: NCT02148692) patients. The exposure of interest was low etCO₂ (<4.7 kPa) vs normal-high etCO₂ (≥4.7 kPa). The primary outcome was postoperative pulmonary complications within 5 days. A time-weighted etCO₂ analysi

SUBMITTER: Nasa P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12799414 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature