Absolute values of regional ventilation-perfusion mismatch in patients with ARDS monitored by electrical impedance tomography and the role of dead space and shunt compensation

Abstract Background Assessment of regional ventilation/perfusion (V′/Q) mismatch using electrical impedance tomography (EIT) represents a promising advancement for personalized management of the acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). However, accuracy is still hindered by the need for invasive monitoring to calibrate ventilation and perfusion. Here, we propose a non-invasive correction that uses only EIT data and characterized patients with more pronounced compensation of V′/Q mismatch. Methods We enrolled twenty-one ARDS patients on controlled mechanical ventilation. Cardiac output was measured invasively, and ventilation and perfusion were assessed by EIT. Relative V′/Q maps by EIT were calibrated to absolute values using the minute ventilation to invasive cardiac output (MV/CO) ratio (V′/Q-ABS), left unadjusted (V′/Q-REL), or corrected by MV/CO ratio derived from EIT data (V′/Q-CORR). The ratio between ventilation to dependent regions and perfusion reaching shunted units ( $${\text{V}}_{{\text{D}}}^{\prime }$$ V D ′ /Q SHUNT ) was calculated as an index of more effective hypoxic pulmonary vasoconstriction. The ratio between perfusion to non-dependent regions and ventilation to dead space units (Q ND / $${\text{V}}_{{{\text{DS}}}}^{\prime }$$ V DS ′ ) was calculated as an index of hypocapnic pneumoconstriction. Results Our calibration factor correlated with invasive MV/CO (r = 0.65, p < 0.001), showed good accuracy and no apparent bias. Compared to V′/Q-ABS, V′/Q-REL maps overestimated ventilation ( p = 0.013) and perfusion ( p = 0.002) to low V′/Q units and underestimated ventilation ( p = 0.011) and perfusion ( p = 0.008) to high V′/Q units. The heterogeneity of ventilation and perfusion reaching different V′/Q compartments was underestimated. V′/Q-CORR maps eliminated all these differences with V′/Q-ABS ( p > 0.05). Higher $$V_{D}^{\prime } /Q_{SHUNT}$$ V D ′ / Q SHUNT correlated with higher PaO 2 /FiO 2 (r = 0.49, p = 0.025) and lower shunt fraction (ρ = − 0.59, p = 0.005). Higher $$Q_{ND} /V_{DS}^{\prime }$$ Q ND / V DS ′ correlated with lower PEEP (ρ = − 0.62, p = 0.003) and plateau pressure (ρ = − 0.59, p = 0.005). Lower values of both indexes were associated with less ventilator-free days ( p = 0.05 and p = 0.03, respectively). Conclusions Regional V′/Q maps calibrated with a non-invasive EIT-only method closely approximate the ones obtained with invasive monitoring. Higher efficiency of shunt compensation improves oxygenation while compensation of dead space is less needed at lower airway pressure. Patients with more effective compensation mechanisms could have better outcomes.