Effect of ultrasound-guided recruitment maneuver on atelectasis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Abstract To summarize the existing evidence on the effects of ultrasound-guided recruitment maneuver (RM) during perioperative period on atelectasis, oxygenation and other clinical outcomes in adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and WanFang databases were searched from inception to May 2023 for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the perioperative use of ultrasound-guided RM with a control group in adult patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The primary outcome was the incidence of early postoperative atelectasis (within 24 h after surgery). A total of 12 RCTs with 895 patients were included. The ultrasound-guided RM significantly reduced the incidence of postoperative atelectasis (RR [risk ratio]: 0.44, 95% CI [confidence interval]: 0.34 to 0.57, P