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Flow‐volume loops measured with electrical impedance tomography in pediatric patients with asthma
Author(s) -
Ngo Chuong,
Dippel Falk,
Tenbrock Klaus,
Leonhardt Steffen,
Lehmann Sylvia
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
pediatric pulmonology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.866
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1099-0496
pISSN - 8755-6863
DOI - 10.1002/ppul.23962
Subject(s) - spirometry , medicine , electrical impedance tomography , asthma , cardiology , nuclear medicine , tomography , radiology
Background Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) provides information on global and regional ventilation during tidal breathing and mechanical ventilation. During forced expiration maneuvers, the linearity of EIT and spirometric data has been documented in healthy persons. The present study investigates the potential diagnostic use of EIT in pediatric patients with asthma. Methods EIT and spirometry were performed in 58 children with asthma (average age ± SD: 11.86 ± 3.13 years), and 58 healthy controls (average age ± SD: 12.12 ± 2.9 years). The correlation between EIT data and simultaneously acquired spirometric data were tested for FEV 1 , FEV 0.5 , MEF 75 , MEF 50 , and MEF 25 . Binary classification tests were performed for the EIT‐derived Tiffeneau index FEV 1 /FVC and the bronchodilator test index ΔFEV 1 . Average flow‐volume (FV) loops were generated for patients with pathologic spirometry to demonstrate the feasibility of EIT for graphic diagnosis of asthma. Results Spirometry and global EIT‐based FV loops showed a strong correlation ( P < 0.001, r > 0.9 in FEV 1 and FEV 0.5 ). In all criteria, the binary classification tests yielded high specificity (>93%), a high positive predictive value (≥75%) and a high negative predictive value (>80%), while sensitivity was higher in ΔFEV 1 (86.67%) and lower in FEV 1 /FVC (25% and 35.29%). A typical concave shape of the EIT‐derived average FV loops was observed for asthmatic children with improvement after bronchospasmolysis. Conclusions Global FV loops derived from EIT correlate well with spirometry. Positive bronchospasmolysis can be observed in EIT‐derived FV loops. Flow‐volume loops originated from EIT have a potential to visualize pulmonary function.