Electrical Impedance Tomography to Monitor Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure

Alveolar Collapse as a Threat to Mechanically Ventilated Lungs

“…Thus, a bedside method to identify personalized PEEP balancing reversal of collapse with risk of overdistension would be a welcome addition to treatment of patients with ARDS. The last merit of the study of Sousa and colleagues ( 6 ) is to underline the potential of EIT as a bedside, radiation-free, repeatable method to assess overdistension and collapse ( 13 , 14 ), allowing the selection of personalized PEEP settings even in more difficult conditions, such as during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (difficult to transport) ( 15 ) and in spontaneously breathing patients (difficult to use traditional methods based on mechanics) ( 16 ).…”