Electrical Impedance Tomography in Perioperative Medicine: Careful Respiratory Monitoring for Tailored Interventions

Overview

Journal BMC Anesthesiol

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Anesthesiology

Date 2019 Aug 9

PMID 31390977

Citations 26

Authors

Elena Spinelli

Tommaso Mauri

Alberto Fogagnolo

Gaetano Scaramuzzo

Annalisa Rundo

Domenico Luca Grieco

Giacomo Grasselli

Carlo Alberto Volta

Savino Spadaro

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive radiation-free monitoring technique that provides images based on tissue electrical conductivity of the chest. Several investigations applied EIT in the context of perioperative medicine, which is not confined to the intraoperative period but begins with the preoperative assessment and extends to postoperative follow-up.

Main Body: EIT could provide careful respiratory monitoring in the preoperative assessment to improve preparation for surgery, during anaesthesia to guide optimal ventilation strategies and to monitor the hemodynamic status and in the postoperative period for early detection of respiratory complications. Moreover, EIT could further enhance care of patients undergoing perioperative diagnostic procedures. This narrative review summarizes the latest evidence on the application of this technique to the surgical patient, focusing also on possible future perspectives.

Conclusions: EIT is a promising technique for the perioperative assessment of surgical patients, providing tailored adaptive respiratory and haemodynamic monitoring. Further studies are needed to address the current technological limitations, confirm the findings and evaluate which patients can benefit more from this technology.

Citing Articles

Electrical impedance tomography-guided positive end-expiratory pressure titration for perioperative oxygenation and postoperative pulmonary complications: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chen L, Yu K, Yang J, Han X, Liu L, Li T Medicine (Baltimore). 2025; 103(52):e40357.

PMID: 39969340 PMC: 11688048. DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000040357.

Respiratory Support Effects over Time on Regional Lung Ventilation Assessed by Electrical Impedance Tomography in Premature Infants.

Virsilas E, Valiulis A, Kubilius R, Peciuliene S, Liubsys A Medicina (Kaunas). 2024; 60(3).

PMID: 38541220 PMC: 10971897. DOI: 10.3390/medicina60030494.

Functional Phenotyping: A New Role for Electrical Impedance Tomography.

Savino S, Gaetano S Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2024; 209(11):1291-1292.

PMID: 38457807 PMC: 11146560. DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202402-0328ED.

Delayed lung injury on the nonsurgical side increases mortality in patients after lung cancer surgery: a retrospective cohort study.

Xuan L, Wang Y, Zheng Y, Chen S, Zhu L, Zheng X J Thorac Dis. 2023; 15(10):5574-5584.

PMID: 37969314 PMC: 10636481. DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-822.

Optimal positive end-expiratory pressure titration of intraoperative mechanical ventilation in different operative positions of female patients under general anesthesia.

Shu B, Zhang Y, Ren Q, Zheng X, Zhang Y, Liu Q Heliyon. 2023; 9(10):e20552.

PMID: 37822628 PMC: 10562915. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20552.

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