PRISM
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Prevention of Respiratory Insufficiency after Surgical Management (PRISM) Trial: A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) to prevent respiratory complications and improve survival following major abdominal surgery
IRAS ID
183040
Contact name
Rupert Pearse
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Summary of Research
PRISM was a large international randomised clinical trial of preventative continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) after major open abdominal surgery. Patients aged 50 years and over undergoing elective major open abdominal surgery were randomly assigned to CPAP, started within four hours after the end of surgery and continued for at least four hours, or usual postoperative care. The study was conducted across 70 hospitals in six countries, including 4793 patients. The main objective was to determine whether routine CPAP reduces other types of complications after surgery. These include infections (pneumonia), the need for mechanical support of breathing (re-intubation) and death within one year of surgery. In this large clinical effectiveness trial, CPAP did not reduce the incidences of pneumonia, endotracheal re-intubation or death after major abdominal surgery.Summary of Results
This trial also substantially increases the quality of the available evidence that anaesthetists, surgeons and critical care physicians can use to inform their clinical practice.REC name
London - Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/1595
Date of REC Opinion
2 Oct 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion