Gastric Ultrasound in Pediatric Trauma Patients

February 18, 2026 updated by: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Evaluation of Gastric Contents by Ultrasound in Pediatric Trauma Patients Undergoing General Anesthesia

Gastric ultrasound has become increasingly utilized to examine volume and quality of gastric contents in the preoperative setting to guide anesthetic management and relay risk of aspiration in both adult and pediatric medicine. Gastric fluid volumes in trauma patients are thought to be elevated due to delayed gastric emptying in the setting of an over-attenuated sympathetic response to physical pain and stress, opioid analgesia, and other associated injuries (traumatic brain). However, there is a paucity of literature examining gastric fluid volumes (GFV), measured by gastric ultrasound, in the pediatric trauma population. The purpose of the study is to assess whether preoperative gastric ultrasound is an accurate method to identify pediatric trauma patients who have elevated GFV (>0.8mL/kg) and high-risk gastric contents (solids, complex liquids, in addition to large volumes).

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

There is longstanding evidence that GFV are elevated in trauma patients for several physiologic reasons. This has been corroborated in both adult and pediatric studies, suggesting that trauma patients may be at higher risk for gastric aspiration compared to healthy controls, and that anesthetic management should reflect this elevated risk. This often implies tracheal intubation with or without a rapid sequence induction. However, performing rapid sequence induction to decrease aspiration risk increases the risk of desaturation, hypoxia, bradycardia, and hemodynamic instability, especially in small children who have reduced functional residual capacity and who are difficult to adequately preoxygenate. This has presented a question-mark for anesthesia providers caring for children with traumatic injuries, and variations in practice. Bricker and authors examined gastric fluid volumes by aspiration of gastric contents in 1989 in pediatric trauma patients, and found that nearly 50% had elevated gastric contents and were at risk for potential aspiration, though no aspiration events were captured. Likewise, Schurizek and authors looked a cohort of pediatric patients presenting for emergency surgery, which included trauma, and found the nearly 38% of children presenting to the OR who had adequately fasted had elevated gastric contents. A recent study using gastric ultrasound in children with proximal limb fractures found a similar rate of elevated gastric contents with 37% of children meeting criteria, and 24% of those showing evidence of solids/complex gastric fluid. Again, no aspiration events were captured. Thus, little is known to inform anesthesiologists about which risk factors contribute to high gastric volumes in pediatric trauma patients or how long these children may be considered at additional risk for aspiration. Aspiration is an extremely rare event, typically estimated between 1-5/10,000 anesthetics or 0.01%, and the sample size needed to power a study to capture reducing the risk of aspiration is not feasible. Thus, the investigators hope to characterize gastric contents/GFV using ultrasound in pediatric trauma patients presenting with a wide variety of traumatic injury and at varying times from injury (urgent/emergent surgery versus semi-urgent surgery), to identify potential risk factors and guide anesthetic management in this vulnerable population.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
40

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Elaina Lin, MD
  • Phone Number: 215-590-1000
  • Email: line1@chop.edu

Study Contact Backup

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Pennsylvania
      • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, 19104
        • Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

1 second to 17 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

N/A

Sampling Method

Probability Sample

Study Population

perioperative pediatric trauma patients

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Pediatric patients ages 0-17 years-old
  • Patients suffering from a traumatic injury requiring urgent or emergent surgery.
  • Inpatient or Same-Day Surgery

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Children with altered or abnormal gastric physiology, ie, history of Nissen Fundoplication, history of short-gut syndrome, history of bariatric surgery/gastric sleeve, history of gastroparesis or functional dysmotility, etc.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Observational Models: Cohort
  • Time Perspectives: Cross-Sectional

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Pediatric Trauma Patients
Pediatric patients (<18 years old) who have suffered a traumatic event requiring surgical fixation within 48 hours prior to time to arrival in the operating room.
Diagnostic test: Gastric Ultrasound
The investigators will compare gastric fluid volume as determined by ultrasound pre-induction vs. gastric volume aspirated via an orogastric tube post-intubation. The results will be stratified into low risk, moderate risk and high risk for aspiration based on ultrasound exam by an investigator off-line.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Gastric fluid volume (GFV)
Time Frame: GFV will be measured immediately prior to induction of general anesthesia within the operating room.
GFV will be estimated via obtained gastric antral cross-sectional area (CSA), measured by ultrasound, and calculated using the formula: GSV= 0.0093 * CSA [mm2] - 0.96. This calculated GFV will be compared to aspirated gastric volumes.
GFV will be measured immediately prior to induction of general anesthesia within the operating room.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Airway management patterns
Time Frame: This data will be collected up to 1 year.
We will also collect data on airway management patterns in pediatric trauma patients (rapid-sequence induction, laryngeal mask airway, etc).
This data will be collected up to 1 year.
Aspiration
Time Frame: This data will be collected up to 1 year.
Number of patients with aspiration intraoperatively.
This data will be collected up to 1 year.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Elaina Lin, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
March 26, 2022

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
March 14, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 6, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 15, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
February 20, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
February 18, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 21-019564

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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