Prone positioning improves ventilation–perfusion matching assessed by electrical impedance tomography in patients with ARDS: a prospective physiological study

Abstract Background The physiological effects of prone ventilation in ARDS patients have been discussed for a long time but have not been fully elucidated. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has emerged as a tool for bedside monitoring of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion, allowing the opportunity to obtain data. This study aimed to investigate the effect of prone positioning (PP) on ventilation–perfusion matching by contrast-enhanced EIT in patients with ARDS. Design Monocenter prospective physiologic study. Setting University medical ICU. Patients Ten mechanically ventilated ARDS patients who underwent PP. Interventions We performed EIT evaluation at the initiation of PP, 3 h after PP initiation and the end of PP during the first PP session. Measurements and main results The regional distribution of ventilation and perfusion was analyzed based on EIT images and compared to the clinical variables regarding respiratory and hemodynamic status. Prolonged prone ventilation improved oxygenation in the ARDS patients. Based on EIT measurements, the distribution of ventilation was homogenized and dorsal lung ventilation was significantly improved by PP administration, while the effect of PP on lung perfusion was relatively mild, with increased dorsal lung perfusion observed. The ventilation–perfusion matched region was found to increase and correlate with the increased PaO2/FiO2 by PP, which was attributed mainly to reduced shunt in the lung. Conclusions Prolonged prone ventilation increased dorsal ventilation and perfusion, which resulted in improved ventilation–perfusion matching and oxygenation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04725227. Registered on 25 January 2021.