Introduction
Postoperative pulmonary complications
Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) are commonly observed during the first postoperative week and have been associated with a prolonged hospital stay [Strategies aimed at decreasing the incidence of PPCs include preoperative functional exercise [Airway driving pressure and mechanical power are two widely used parameters in pulmonary protective ventilation. Airway driving pressure represents the pressure generated by mechanically ventilated patients during inhalation and is expressed as the ratio of tidal volume to lung compliance. It can also be calculated at the bedside by subtracting positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) from platform pressure [This clinical trial evaluated the specific roles of driving pressure and mechanical power as mediators in reducing PPCs. A randomised, prospective, and double-blind study was conducted to determine whether inhaled penehyclidine could effectively decrease the incidence of PPCs by reducing individualised drive pressure and mechanical power when compared with intravenous penehyclidine.