Аdomas Janulionis^1,3,5, Viktorija Šutova¹, Violeta Drejerienė⁵, Vita Langienė⁵, Algirdas Valiulis², Nina Prokopčiuk⁴, Arūnas Valiulis^1,2,5

¹Vilnius University Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Clinic of Children‘s Diseases,

²Vilnius University Medical Faculty, Institute of Health Sciences, Department of Public Health,

³Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, Center of Neonatology,

⁴SRI Center for Physical Sciences and Technology,

⁵Vilnius City Clinical Hospital, Lithuania

 

Abstract

Mechanically ventilated infants with respiratory distress syndrome often develop secondary lung injury. Although special attention is paid to lung-protective ventilation strategies and non-invasive ventilation methods, easy-to-use, radiation-free technique is needed for their optimization and pulmonary ventilation distribution monitoring at the bedside. Only few years ago electrical impedance tomography was started to use in clinical neonatology. This new method of patient examination and long-term monitoring has shown great potential for individualizing neonatal respiratory support and reducing the incidence of mechanical ventilation-related adverse effects. This article presents the first clinical case in Baltic countries of preterm neonate examined with electrical impedance tomography (Swisstom BB2, Switzerland) and literature review introducing the experience of other countries in this innovative field.

Keywords: electrical impedance tomography, mechanical lung ventilation, non-invasive respiratory support, respiratory distress syndrome, preterm neonates.