Regional lung function measures determined by electrical impedance tomography during repetitive ventilation manoeuvres in patients with COPD

OBJECTIVE: Current standards for conducting spirometry examinations recommend that the ventilation manoeuvres needed in pulmonary function testing are carried out repeatedly during sessions. Chest electrical impedance tomography (EIT) can determine the presence of ventilation heterogeneity during such manoeuvres, which increases the information content derived from such examinations. The aim of this study was to characterise regional lung function in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during repetitive forced full ventilation manoeuvres. Regional lung function measures derived from these manoeuvres were compared with quiet tidal breathing. APPROACH: Sixty hospitalised patients were examined during up to three repeated ventilation manoeuvres. Acceptable spirometry manoeuvres were performed and EIT recordings suitable for analysis obtained in 53 patients (12 women, 41 men; age: 68 ± 12 years (mean ± SD)). Pixel values of tidal volume, forced full inspiratory and expiratory volume in 1 s, and forced inspiratory and expiratory vital capacity were calculated from the EIT data. Spatial ventilation heterogeneity was assessed using the coefficient of variation, global inhomogeneity index, and centres and regional fractions of ventilation. Temporal inhomogeneity was determined by examining the pixel expiration times needed to exhale 50% and 75% of regional forced vital capacity. MAIN RESULTS: All EIT-derived measures of regional lung function showed reproducible results during repetitive examinations. Parameters of spatial heterogeneity obtained from quiet tidal breathing were comparable with the measures derived from the forced manoeuvres. SIGNIFICANCE: Measures of spatial and temporal ventilation heterogeneity obtained in COPD patients by EIT provide comparable findings during repeated examinations within one testing session. Quiet tidal breathing generates similar information on ventilation heterogeneity as forced manoeuvres that demand a high amount of patient effort.