Roles of Electrical Impedance Tomography in Determining a Lung Protective Strategy for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome in the Era of Coronavirus Disease 2019

Abstract

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is noninvasive and can be used at the bedside for real-time evaluation to identify ventilation distribution of infected lungs. This review briefly describes the basic principle of EIT and summarizes the latest findings on its potential contribution to lung protective strategies in coronavirus disease 2019 patients. Additionally, experimental approaches for detecting the distribution of pulmonary blood flow in coronavirus disease 2019 patients are presented. The findings underscore the role of EIT in determining lung protective strategies for coronavirus disease 2019-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome.

Keywords: acute respiratory distress syndrome; coronavirus disease 2019; electrical impedance tomography; lung protective strategy.