An interventional study of Routine Endotracheal Suctioning and Omission of Endotracheal Suctioning in Hypoxia, Airway Obstruction, Postoperative and Sore Throat, sponsored by Mahidol University. Recruiting at 1 site in Thailand. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-01-12.
Sponsored by Mahidol University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Supportive care
The goal of this study is to determine whether omitting tracheal suctioning immediately prior to extubation is non-inferior to routine tracheal suctioning with respect to early postoperative oxygenation among adult surgical patients (aged 18-90 years, American Society of Anesthesiologists [ASA] physical status I-III) undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation.
The study addresses the following questions:
Participants will be randomly assigned (1:1) to one of two groups:
All participants will receive standard anesthetic care and postoperative monitoring in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) for 60 minutes. Follow-up for airway symptoms and patient satisfaction will be conducted at 24 hours after surgery.
1,076 studies on the registry are indexed under Hypoxia; 213 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 408 is above the median of 45 across 769 interventional studies indexed under Hypoxia.
Browse Hypoxia studies →Mahidol University is the lead sponsor of 747 studies on the registry; 119 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
ASA physical status
The anaesthetists’ scale of health before surgery: I is healthy, II has a mild illness that is under control, III a severe one, IV a severe illness that is a constant threat to life. V and VI are used for the critically ill and for organ donors.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: long-term lung disease that makes it hard to breathe out, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
BMI (body mass index)
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.
What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
Participants in this arm received routine endotracheal suctioning immediately prior to extubation, performed using standard suction pressure and technique. Oropharyngeal suctioning was also performed according to usual clinical practice.
Procedure: Routine Endotracheal Suctioning
Participants in this arm received oropharyngeal suctioning only prior to extubation. No suction catheter was inserted into the trachea. Standard anesthetic care and monitoring were provided as per routine practice.
Procedure: Omission of Endotracheal Suctioning
Endotracheal suctioning performed immediately prior to extubation using standard suction pressure and technique. Oropharyngeal suctioning was also performed according to routine clinical practice.
Also known as: SUC
Oropharyngeal suctioning only was performed prior to extubation. No suction catheter was inserted into the trachea.
Also known as: NON-SUC
Incidence of postoperative desaturation after extubation
Proportion of participants who develop desaturation, defined as peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO₂) \<92% at any time within the first 60 minutes after extubation.
Time frame: First 60 minutes after extubation
Incidence and severity of postoperative coughing
Incidence and severity of postoperative coughing within the first 60 minutes after extubation, assessed using the modified Minogue scale. Severity is recorded as the highest coughing score observed during the assessment period.
Time frame: First 60 minutes after extubation
Severity of sore throat during swallowing
Severity of sore throat during swallowing within the first 60 minutes after extubation, assessed using a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS). The outcome is recorded as the highest score reported during the assessment period.
Time frame: First 60 minutes after extubation
Requirement and level of oxygen therapy
Requirement for oxygen therapy and the highest level of escalation within the first 60 minutes after extubation, including nasal cannula, simple face mask, reservoir mask, or more advanced oxygen delivery devices as clinically indicated.
Time frame: First 60 minutes after extubation
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting
Incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting occurring within the first 60 minutes after extubation. Nausea and vomiting are recorded as present or absent during the assessment period.
Time frame: First 60 minutes after extubation
Patient satisfaction
Patient satisfaction with anesthetic care at 24 hours after surgery, assessed using a 0-10 numerical rating scale (NRS), where 0 indicates complete dissatisfaction and 10 indicates complete satisfaction. The recorded value represents the patient's reported score at the 24-hour assessment.
Time frame: At 24 hours after surgery (± 2 hours)
Incidence of extubation-related adverse events
Incidence of extubation-related adverse events during the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) stay, including bronchospasm, laryngospasm, reintubation, and post-obstructive pulmonary edema. Events are recorded as present or absent throughout the PACU monitoring period. The PACU stay typically lasts 2-3 hours depending on discharge criteria.
Time frame: From arrival in the PACU until discharge from the PACU, assessed up to 6 hours after PACU arrival.
Duration of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU)
Total duration of stay in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU), recorded in minutes from arrival in PACU until discharge based on standard discharge criteria. The PACU stay typically lasts 2-3 hours depending on discharge criteria.
Time frame: From arrival in the PACU until discharge from the PACU, assessed up to 6 hours after PACU arrival.
Plan to share: No — Individual participant data will not be shared because the ethics committee approval and institutional data governance policies do not allow external sharing of identifiable or de-identified participant-level data. Access to study data is restricted to the research team to protect participant confidentiality and comply with local regulatory requirements.
Started Jan 2026 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for Dec 2026, 11 months after the start.
Of 321 non-industry interventional studies with no phase under Hypoxia, half reached primary completion within 12 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 4 and three quarters within 27. This study's planned 11 months is close to that.
Counting every sponsor, half of 351 studies reached it within 12 months; a quarter within 3 and three quarters within 27.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
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