Perioperative Respiratory Care and Outcomes for Patients Undergoing High Risk Abdominal Surgery

NCT ID: NCT04256798

Last Updated: 2025-02-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

PHASE3

Total Enrollment

12942 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2020-11-13

Study Completion Date

2026-06-01

Brief Summary

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PENGUIN is a pragmatic multi-center trial investigating the effects of pre-operative mouthwash and perioperative oxygen on the incidences of pneumonia and surgical site infection (SSI) following major abdominal surgery.

Patients will be recruited from low and middle income countries and randomly assigned to a trial treatment arms: a) pre-operative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 80-100% FiO2; b) no pre-operative mouthwash and 80-100% fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2); c) pre-operative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 21- 30% FiO2; or d) no pre-operative mouthwash and 21-30% FiO2.

Detailed Description

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PENGUIN is a pragmatic, blinded (outcome assessor), 2x2 factorial, multi-centre randomised controlled trial, with an internal pilot, to evaluate measures to reduce surgical site infection (SSI) and pneumonia rates in patients undergoing surgery with an abdominal incision.

Pneumonia is one of the most serious complications to occur after surgery, accounting for up to one in four of all postoperative deaths. The incidence is greater still in high-risk populations such as those undergoing midline laparotomy where mortality rates are more than 10%. SSIs are clearly important being the most frequent healthcare-associated infection in LMICs, affecting one in three patients undergoing contaminated or dirty surgery (34, 35). SSIs cause pain, discomfort and disability. They increase the time taken to return to work, and healthcare costs

The risk of postoperative mortality and complications such as surgical site infection is three times greater in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) than in high-income countries. In order to address surgical need worldwide, it is estimated that provision of a further 312 million operations would be required each year.

Patients will be recruited from hospitals in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) who are undergoing elective or emergency mid-line laparotomy. Eligible patients will be randomised at the level of the individual in a 1:1:1:1 ratio between:

A. Preoperative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 80-100% FiO2 during surgery B. No preoperative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 80-100% FiO2 during surgery C. Preoperative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 21-30% FiO2 during surgery D. No preoperative chlorhexidine mouthwash and 21-30% FiO2 during surgery

The 6 month internal pilot will assess the feasibility of recruitment, compliance with treatment allocation and patient retention and follow-up rates. The main Randomised Control Trial will recruit 12,924 participants.

Conditions

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Infection Pneumonia Surgical Site Infection Wound Infection Surgical Wound Infection Postoperative Complications Anesthesia Communicable Disease Pathologic Processes Perioperative Complication Chlorhexidine Laparotomy

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

FACTORIAL

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Outcome Assessors

Study Groups

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Mouthwash and liberal oxygen during surgery

Pre-surgical mouthwash with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate in combination with 80-100% FiO2 during surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Chlorhexidine mouthwash

Intervention Type DRUG

0.2% Chlorhexidine digluconate

Oxygen

Intervention Type DRUG

Oxygen 80-100%

No mouthwash and liberal oxygen during surgery

No pre-surgical mouthwash in combination with 80-100% FiO2 during surgery.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Oxygen

Intervention Type DRUG

Oxygen 80-100%

Mouthwash and restrictive oxygen during surgery

Pre-surgical mouthwash with 0.2% chlorhexidine gluconate in combination with 21-30% FiO2 during surgery.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Chlorhexidine mouthwash

Intervention Type DRUG

0.2% Chlorhexidine digluconate

Oxygen

Intervention Type DRUG

Oxygen 21-30 %

No mouthwash and restrictive oxygen during surgery

No pre-surgical mouthwash in combination with 21-30% FiO2 during surgery.

Group Type ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Oxygen

Intervention Type DRUG

Oxygen 21-30 %

Interventions

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Chlorhexidine mouthwash

0.2% Chlorhexidine digluconate

Intervention Type DRUG

Oxygen

Oxygen 80-100%

Intervention Type DRUG

Oxygen

Oxygen 21-30 %

Intervention Type DRUG

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Adults and children aged 10 years or over
* Elective or emergency abdominal surgery via midline laparotomy with an anticipated abdominal incision of at least 5cm in length
* Written informed consent of patient (signature or a fingerprint)

Exclusion Criteria

* Patients undergoing caesarean section
* Patients with a documented or suspected allergy to chlorhexidine
* Patient unable to complete postoperative follow-up (not contactable after discharge)
* Previous enrolment in PENGUIN within the past 30 days
* American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade V patients (expected to die with or without surgery)
Minimum Eligible Age

10 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

100 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sponsors

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University of Birmingham

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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Responsibility Role SPONSOR

Principal Investigators

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Rupert Pearse

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Royal London Hospital

Locations

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Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Botucatu - UNESP

Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre

Porto Alegre, , Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceicao

Porto Alegre, , Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Universitario Professor Edgar Santos/Bahia

Salvador, , Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Sao Jose - Criciuma/SC

São José, , Brazil

Site Status RECRUITING

Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital & Research Centre

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India

Site Status RECRUITING

Sher - i - Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences

Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Site Status RECRUITING

Chinchpada Christian Hospital

Chinchpāda, Maharashtra, India

Site Status RECRUITING

Kasturba Medical College Hospital, Manipal

Madhava Nagar, Manipal, Karnataka, India

Site Status RECRUITING

Government Medical College, Patiala

Patiāla, Punjab, India

Site Status RECRUITING

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Government Medial College & Hospital, Chandigarh

Chandigarh, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Jodhpur

Jodhpur, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Tata Medical Center

Kolkata, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Christian Medical College (CMC) & Hospital, Ludhiana

Ludhiana, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Madhepura Christian Hospital

Madhepura, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Topiwala National Medical College and Bai Yamunabai Laxman Nair Charitable Hospital

Mumbai, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Tata Memorial Hospital

Mumbai, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Maulana Azad Medical College

New Delhi, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh

Rishikesh, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Christian Medical College & Hospital Vellore

Vellore, , India

Site Status RECRUITING

Centro Médico Nacional de Occidente IMSS

Belisario Domínguez, , Mexico

Site Status RECRUITING

Hospital Espanola Veracruz

Veracruz, , Mexico

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Benin Teaching Hospital

Benin City, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

University Of Abuja Teaching Hospital

Gwagwalada, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

University College Hospital

Ibadan, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex

Ile-Ife, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital

Ilorin, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital

Kaduna, , Nigeria

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital

Kano, , Nigeria

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Lagos State University Teaching Hospital

Lagos, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

Lagos University Teaching Hospital

Lagos, , Nigeria

Site Status RECRUITING

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital

Nnewi, , Nigeria

Site Status NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Tygerberg Hospital

Cape Town, , South Africa

Site Status RECRUITING

Groote Schuur Hospital

Cape Town, , South Africa

Site Status RECRUITING

New Somerset Hospital

Cape Town, , South Africa

Site Status RECRUITING

Paarl Provincial Hospital

Paarl, , South Africa

Site Status RECRUITING

Countries

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Brazil India Mexico Nigeria South Africa

Central Contacts

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Divya Kapoor

Role: CONTACT

01214159127

Rachel Lillywhite, BA

Role: CONTACT

01214159127

Facility Contacts

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Leandro Gobbo Braz

Role: primary

Luciana Cadore Stefani

Role: primary

ANDRE PRATO SCHMIDT

Role: primary

Liana Maria Torres De Araujo Azi

Role: primary

Eric Benedet Lineburger

Role: primary

References

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PENGUIN Trial Management [email protected]@gmail.com; NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Global Surgery Collaborators; PENGUIN Trial Management Group. PErioperative respiratory care aNd outcomes for patients underGoing hIgh risk abdomiNal surgery (PENGUIN): a randomised international internal pilot trial. BJA Open. 2025 Apr 10;14:100396. doi: 10.1016/j.bjao.2025.100396. eCollection 2025 Jun.

Reference Type DERIVED
PMID: 40255646 (View on PubMed)

Other Identifiers

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RG_19-223

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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