Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive tool that displays regional changes in lung volume and the distribution of ventilation at the bedside in real-time, providing information about gas distribution, regional ventilation delay, and, more recently pulmonary perfusion. This dynamic assessment can help clinicians optimize and individualize ventilator parameters tailored to a patient’s characteristics. Indeed, EIT may assist in optimizing mechanical ventilation settings, taking into account the heterogeneity of the lung. In addition, real-time monitoring of lung function can allow clinicians to more accurately predict patient recovery, thereby reducing dependence on the ventilator, and at the same time, avoiding the risks of premature weaning. Being a noninvasive and safe technique, the popularity of EIT is increasing among phyisicians caring for mechanically ventilated patients. This review article provides an overview of the EIT literature with a focus on its application in various clinical scenarios.
Acute exacerbations of COPD
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by a heterogenous increase of regional airway resistances and lung compliances. In stable patients with COPD, this pathologic increase in regional time constants can be visualised by EIT as a heterogeneous distribution of ventilation and variable filling/emptying times across lung units [
24,
25]. Acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) are a frequent cause of presentation to the emergency department and clinicians face the difficult challenge of balancing effective CO
2 washout with the risk of dynamic hyperinflation when providing respiratory support. EIT can aid in monitoring and managing these patients, particularly in titrating ventilatory support and assessing response to therapy (Table
2).
Table 2
Pathophysiology of COPD as assessed by EIT
Spatial lung heterogeneity |
Pathophysiological variable | EIT parameter |
Regional dynamic hyperinflation/intrinsic PEEP [ 26]. | Regional decrease of end-expiratory lung volume during decremental PEEP trial [ 27]. Regional end-expiratory flow not returning to zero before next breath [ 28]. |
Heterogenous distribution of ventilation within the lungs. | Elevated global inhomogeneity index [ 29]. Uneven distribution of ventral/dorsal ventilation [ 30]. |
Temporal lung heterogeneity |
Pathophysiological variable | EIT parameter |
Heterogeneity of regional start of inflation/deflation—regional differences in time constants. | Out of phase filling and emptying of different regions of the lung [ 25, 31]. Regional ventilation-delay index [ 32]. |
Regional pendelluft [ 33]. | Volume shifts between lung regions during end inspiratory hold. Time difference between global and regional impedance versus time curves [ 24, 33]. |
In ventilated patients with AECOPD, dynamic hyperinflation (intrinsic PEEP) can occur due to the increased time constants of lung units and shorter expiratory time due to a higher respiratory rate. If the externally applied PEEP is inadequate, intrinsic PEEP results in increased work of breathing and an inhomogeneous distribution of ventilation. In this setting, EIT can be used to set an optimal PEEP that minimizes the consequences of dynamic hyperinflation. Interestingly, Kostakou et al. performed a PEEP titration assessing ventilation heterogeneity using EIT in a mechanically ventilated patient with a severe AECOPD and evidence of dynamic hyperinflation [
26]. They set PEEP to 0%, 50%, 80%, 100%, and 150% of the globally measured intrinsic PEEP and measured the regional delay of ventilation, the time for a lung region to attain a certain impedance change [
32]. An optimal homogeneity with the lowest delay of ventilation was achieved at a PEEP set to 80% of the intrinsic PEEP. Interestingly, this PEEP value also resulted in the greatest exhaled tidal volume, but not the greatest respiratory system compliance.
In an intubated patient with COPD, Mauri et al. demonstrated the usefulness of EIT in selecting a personalized external PEEP in the setting of intrinsic PEEP [
27]. During a decremental PEEP trial, EIT displayed that the PEEP level at which dependent lung regions stopped deflating (indicative of the quantity of regional intrinsic PEEP) was higher than for non-dependent. PEEP was set at a level corresponding to the highest level of regional intrinsic PEEP, and the patient was successfully transitioned to assisted ventilation. Importantly, this PEEP level was higher than the traditionally measured global value obtained during an end-expiratory occlusion.
Karagiannidis et al. demonstrated the feasibility and reliability of measuring regional time constants using EIT [
31]. They reported significant heterogeneity and overall increased time constants in invasively ventilated patients with AECOPD compared to ARDS. Moreover, they detected regional differences in airflow limitation and the response to different levels of applied PEEP.
The heterogeneity of time constants in patients with COPD can cause an asynchronous pattern of ventilation giving rise to occult pendelluft and regional overdistension. In patients with AECOPD, Sang et al. demonstrated significant heterogeneity in the magnitude and timing of impedance versus time curves in different regions of the lung [
33]. These “phase shifts” and the heterogeneity of amplitude differences indicated delays between emptying of different lung units. The magnitude of EIT measured expiratory delays worsened with increasing airway resistance and improved after administration of bronchodilator therapy, suggesting that EIT can be a helpful adjunct in monitoring patients with AECOPD over time.
By measuring flow versus time curves at end-expiration, Zhao et al. also used EIT to identify regional air-trapping and assess the response to bronchodilator therapy in patients with AECOPD [
28].
In terms of ventilation mode, in patients with AECOPD receiving assisted (pressure support) ventilation, Sun et al. used EIT to demonstrate that switching to a neurally adjusted ventilatory assist mode increased the homogeneity of the distribution of ventilation and reduced the work due to trigger [
30].
Altogether, a nuanced approach to ventilator management and a PEEP selection that optimizes work of breathing in patients with AECOPD may be facilitated with an EIT-guided approach.
COVID-19 acute respiratory failure
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led to an overwhelming amount of mechanically ventilated patients [
34] with severe hypoxemic acute respiratory failure (hARF) consequent to either alveolar or vascular injury or both [
35]. EIT has been proposed as a valuable tool to personalize the management of COVID-19 patients with hARF [
36‐
40].
Recent data indicate that limiting driving pressure (DP) as much as possible reduces the risk of death in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 hARF patients [
41]. By estimating the loss of compliance due to lung collapse and overdistension [
14], EIT offers the possibility to minimize DP by individualizing PEEP selection [
42].
Sella et al. [
38], in a cohort of intubated COVID-19 patients, found that the median PEEP selected by EIT (PEEP
EIT) that minimized the overall loss of compliance was 12 cmH
2O [interquartile range 10–14 cmH
2O] [
43] and corresponded to the intersection between the EIT alveolar collapse and overdistension curves [
14]. Notably, the loss of lung compliance due to lung collapse observed with PEEP values from the lower PEEP/FiO
2 table was comparable to PEEP
EIT, whereas the loss of lung compliance due to lung overdistension was significantly greater with PEEP values from the higher PEEP/FiO
2 table than with PEEP
EIT, suggesting better agreement between PEEP
EIT and the lower PEEP/FiO
2 table [
38]. In keeping with these results, Perier et al., in a series of 17 COVID-19 hARF patients, found a median PEEP
EIT of 12 [9-12] cmH
2O, without significant differences between patients with respiratory system compliance (Crs) ≥ 40 mL/cmH
2O and <40 mL/cmH
2O [
39].
In contrast, Van der Zee et al. found higher values of PEEP
EIT (21 [16–22] cmH
2O), closer to those advised by the higher PEEP/FiO
2 table [
40]. These discrepancies may be partly explained by the different criteria used for PEEP
EIT selection in this study, set 2 cmH
2O above the intersection of the curves representing the cumulative percentage of compliance loss due to lung collapse and overdistension [
40]. Furthermore, Van der Zee et al. enrolled more obese patients (median body mass index of 30.0 [27.0–34.0] kg/m
2 [
40], compared to Sella et al. (26.2 [25.4–30.9] kg/m
2) [
38], perhaps explaining the higher PEEP in the setting of reduced chest wall compliance [
44].
A scientific dispute among opinion leaders has debated the use of noninvasive respiratory supports in COVID-19 hARF. While some authors are concerned about the risk of patient self-inflicted lung injury [
45], others are cautious, considering the harms of unnecessary intubation [
46]. Indeed, duration of NIV use [
47,
48] and location of application [
48] have been associated with hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients intubated after NIV failure. EIT has been proposed as a tool to assess the response to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and recognize patients at risk for CPAP failure [
23]. In a series of 10 patients admitted to the ICU for COVID-19 pneumonia and supported with CPAP, Rauseo et al. performed an EIT-guided decremental PEEP trial from 12 cmH
2O to 6 cmH
2O and found that a reduction of EELI smaller than 40% after PEEP de-escalation predicted CPAP failure [
23].
COVID-19 hARF is characterized not only by alveolar injury, but also by severe pulmonary vascular disruption [
49] with small- and mid-sized pulmonary vessel thrombosis [
35], associated with a hypercoagulable state [
50,
51]. Recent data from COVID-19 patients suggest the potential of an EIT perfusion assessment to detect both ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) mismatch [
52‐
54] and pulmonary vasculature alterations, consistent with findings of computed tomography pulmonary angiography [
55,
56].
Prone positioning has been widely applied in COVID-19 hARF, with 61% of intubated patients undergoing at least one cycle of prone positioning [
56].
Nevertheless, the mechanisms underlying the improvement in oxygenation after prone positioning in COVID-19 patients remain unclear.
Zarantonello et al. described the case of one COVID-19 hARF patient, studied with EIT ventilation-perfusion analysis in the supine position and 60 min after being turned prone, and found that prone positioning increased ventilation in the dorsal areas and shifted perfusion to the ventral areas, overall improving V/Q matching [
52]. Perier et al., in 17 COVID-19 hARF patients [
39], found no difference between PEEP
EIT in the supine and prone position and no improvement in DP and Crs after turning patients prone, thereby casting doubt on the role of alveolar recruitment in the improvement of arterial oxygenation during prone positioning. Subsequently, Perier et al., in a cohort of 9 patients with COVID-19 hARF, showed that turning patients from the supine to prone position decreased ventral dead space and dorsal shunt with a trend towards an improvement in V/Q matching, especially in the ventral areas of the lung [
53].
Weaning
Weaning is the entire process leading patients to the discontinuation of mechanical ventilation and extubation [
78]. A spontaneous breathing trial (SBT) is commonly performed to determine whether weaning has been successful and the patient is ready for extubation. While various clinical parameters are utilized to define SBT success, the most powerful predictor of weaning success is the respiratory rate (RR) to tidal volume (Vt) ratio (RR/Vt) [
78]. About one fifth of patients, with rates varying from 14 to 31% among studies, fail their first SBT attempt and require reinstitution of mechanical ventilation [
78]. After a successful SBT, a fraction of patients, ranging from 3 to 19% among studies, develop post-extubation respiratory failure requiring re-intubation, a complication associated with significantly increased mortality [
78]. Prophylactic application of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) soon after extubation in patients at risk of post-extubation respiratory failure may prevent the need for re-intubation and improve outcomes [
79]. Most studies broadly consider at-risk patients to be those older than 65 years old or with underlying cardiac or respiratory disease [
79]. It is, therefore, of paramount clinical importance to improve the precision of weaning and extubation failure predictions and recent studies indicate a role of EIT for this purpose.
In a general population of 42 mechanically ventilated patients, Lima et al. assessed the variation of end-expiratory lung impedance (EELI) occurring during a 30-min SBT, as conducted by T-piece (10 patients) or low levels of pressure-support ventilation (PSV) (32 patients). In the T-piece group, irrespective of SBT outcome, EELI progressively declined throughout the SBT, though a significantly greater decrease in EELI was observed in patients failing the SBT [
80]. In the PSV group, EELI did not vary significantly during the SBT and no difference in EELI variations was observed between patients with different SBT outcomes, likely because ventilator settings, including PEEP, before and during the SBT were quite similar [
80]. No difference in Tidal Impedance Variation (TIV) was observed in both groups [
80].
In 78 patients at risk for extubation failure, Longhini et al. applied EIT during an SBT conducted with low (2 cmH
2O) CPAP applied through the ventilator circuit [
81]. The authors also assessed the heterogeneity of air distribution within the lung, using the Global Inhomogeneity index (GI) [
81]. Compared to weaning successes, patients failing the SBT were characterized by a greater loss in EELI during the SBT and a greater GI at baseline and during the course of the SBT [
81]. Again, no difference in TIV was observed between SBT successes and failures [
81].
In 31 patients experiencing prolonged weaning, Bickenbach et al. also reported that T-piece SBT failure was characterized by a greater GI at baseline, while gas exchange and RR/Vt were not different between patients succeeding and failing the SBT [
82]. Their results suggest that not attempting a SBT in patients with a baseline GI > 41.5 would avoid 87.5% of all SBT failures [
82]. Moon et al. recently found that GI was significantly greater in patients failing a T-piece SBT, in a population of 40 patients either with (
n=16) or without (
n=24) diaphragm dysfunction [
83]. In keeping with these previous results [
81‐
83], in 53 patients mechanically ventilated for more than 72 h and undergoing their first T-piece SBT, Wang et al. further confirmed that GI prior to SBT helps to predict SBT outcome [
84].
In a cohort of 30 patients with prolonged weaning, Zhao et al. described different patterns of ventilation according to weaning outcomes; in patients succeeding, ventilation was redistributed towards the dorsal regions, with a more homogeneous distribution between the anterior and posterior regions when decreasing support levels [
85].
During the weaning process, Longhini et al. demonstrated that chest physiotherapy as applied by high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) improves lung aeration in patients with copious secretions. Also noteworthy, the association of HFCWO with a recruitment maneuver did not produce any further physiological benefit [
86].
Finally, the study by Longhini et al. was the only one that investigated the potential of EIT to predict the need for NIV in the post-extubation period. Among 61 patients who successfully passed a SBT, 22 (36.1%) experienced post-extubation respiratory failure within 48 h. Up to 30 min after extubation, no differences in EELI, TIV, or GI were observed between patients succeeding and failing extubation [
81].