Last update:
28-Sep-2019

Chest electrical impedance tomography (CEIT) is a new imaging technique based on the recording of the impedance of predetermined thoracic regions of interest. With the use of computational methods, it can visualize a cross section of the fifth intercostal zone of the thorax. It is used to monitor the distribution of pulmonary ventilation and to record the changes in selected respiratory parameters, such as the tidal volume and the functional residual volume. The monitoring of both pulmonary ventilation and the respiratory changes takes place in real time, and, as the method gives the sense of breathing "visualization", there is the possibility of immediate intervention when required (e.g., correction of mechanical ventilation parameters, correction of the patient's position, etc.). The key advantages of CEIT compared with other imaging techniques are the absence of side effects and the low cost, but a significant disadvantage is the low imaging resolution compared with computed tomography (CT) scans. The clinical applications of CEIT are mainly related to the monitoring of breathing for the improvement of the pulmonary ventilation, both locally and overall. With the use of CEIT, it is possible to titrate the positive end expiratory pressure (PEΕP) of mechanically ventilated patients, to estimate the effectiveness of the mobilization of the alveoli, to estimate the suitability of a patient's placement during mechanical ventilation, to monitor the efficacy of non-invasive mechanical ventilation, and to assess the effectiveness of respiratory physiotherapy, and many other applications are still under investigation.

Key words: Electrical impedance tomography, Imaging methods.