The feasibility of using electrical impedance tomography to guide positive pressure airway clearance in children with cystic fibrosis and tracheobronchomalacia.

Chest physiotherapy is widely prescribed to assist the clearance of airway secretions in people with cystic fibrosis. Positive expiratory pressure (PEP) devices provide back pressure to the airways during expiration. This may improve clearance by building up gas behind mucus via collateral ventilation and by temporarily increasing functional residual capacity. Given the widespread use of PEP devices, there is a need to determine the evidence for their effect. This is an update of a previously published review. To determine the effectiveness and acceptability of PEP devices compared to other forms of physiotherapy as a means of improving mucus clearance and other outcomes in people with cystic fibrosis. We searched the Cochrane Cystic Fibrosis and Genetic Disorders Group Trials Register comprising of references identified from comprehensive electronic database searches and handsearches of relevant journals and abstract books of conference proceedings. The electronic database CINAHL was also searched from 1982 to 2013.Most recent search of the Group's Cystic Fibrosis Trial Register: 02 December 2014. Randomised controlled studies in which PEP was compared with any other form of physiotherapy in people with cystic fibrosis. This included, postural drainage and percussion, active cycle of breathing techniques, oscillating PEP devices, thoracic oscillating devices, bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPaP) and exercise. Studies also had to include one or more of the following outcomes: change in forced expiratory volume in one second; number of respiratory exacerbations; a direct measure of mucus clearance; weight of expectorated secretions; other pulmonary function parameters; a measure of exercise tolerance; ventilation scans; cost of intervention; and adherence to treatment. Three authors independently applied the inclusion and exclusion criteria to publications and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. A total of 26 studies (involving 733 participants) were included in the review. Eighteen studies involving 296 participants were cross-over in design. Data were not published in sufficient detail in most of these studies to perform any meta-analysis. These studies compared PEP to active cycle of breathing techniques (ACBT), autogenic drainage (AD), oral oscillating PEP devices, high frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) and Bi level PEP devices (BiPaP) and exercise.Forced expiratory volume in one second was the review's primary outcome and the most frequently reported outcome in the studies. Single interventions or series of treatments that continued for up to three months demonstrated no significant difference in effect between PEP and other methods of airway clearance on this outcome. However, long-term studies had equivocal or conflicting results regarding the effect on this outcome. A second primary outcome was the number of respiratory exacerbations. There was a lower exacerbation rate in participants using PEP compared to other techniques when used with a mask for at least one year. Participant preference was reported in 10 studies; and in all studies with an intervention period of at least one month, this was in favour of PEP. The results for the remaining outcome measures were not examined or reported in sufficient detail to provide any high-level evidence. The only reported adverse event was in a study where infants performing either PEP or postural drainage with percussion experienced some gastro-oesophageal reflux. This was more severe in the postural drainage with percussion group. Many studies had a risk of bias as they did not report how the randomisation sequence was either generated or concealed. Most studies reported the number of dropouts and also reported on all planned outcome measures. Following meta-analyses of the effects of PEP versus other airway clearance techniques on lung function and patient preference, this Cochrane review demonstrated that there was a significant reduction in pulmonary exacerbations in people using PEP compared to those using HFCWO in the study where exacerbation rate was a primary outcome measure. It is important to note, however, that there may be individual preferences with respect to airway clearance techniques and that each patient needs to be considered individually for the selection of their optimal treatment regimen in the short and long term, throughout life, as circumstances including developmental stages, pulmonary symptoms and lung function change over time. This also applies as conditions vary between baseline function and pulmonary exacerbations.However, meta-analysis in this Cochrane review has shown a significant reduction in pulmonary exacerbations in people using PEP in the few studies where exacerbation rate was a primary outcome measure.

Exercise with incorporated expiratory manoeuvres was as effective as breathing techniques for airway clearance in children with cystic fibrosis: a randomised crossover trial

Objective.Abnormal regional lung ventilation can lead to undesirable outcomes during the induction of anesthesia. Head rotated ventilation has proven to change the airflow of upper airway tract and be effective in increasing the tidal volume. This study aimed to investigate the influence of head rotated mask ventilation on regional ventilation distribution during the induction phase of anesthesia.Approach.Ninety patients undergoing anesthesia induction were randomly assigned to receive either neutral head (neutral-head group) or rotated right side head (rotated-head group) mask ventilation. Pressure-controlled mode was used in all mechanical ventilation. The regional lung ventilation was monitored by electrical impedance tomography. The primary outcome was the ratio of left/right lung ventilation distribution. The secondary outcomes were global inhomogeneity index (GI), center of ventilation (CoV, 100% = entirely dorsal), and the regional lung distribution differences between spontaneous and mask ventilation.Main results.Forty-two patients with neutral-head and 38 with rotated-head mask ventilation were analyzed finally. Compared with spontaneous ventilation, mask positive-pressure ventilation caused significant changes in the ratio of left/right lung ventilation distribution [0.85 (0.27) versus 0.94 (0.30);P= 0.022]. However, there were no differences in the ratio of left/right lung ventilation distribution between neutral and rotated head groups (P= 0.128). When compared with spontaneous ventilation, mask ventilation caused regional distributions of ventilation shifts towards ventral lung areas (CoV: 45.7 ± 5.0% versus 39.2 ± 4.8%;P< 0.001), and significant lung ventilation inhomogeneity (GI: 0.40 ± 0.07 versus 0.49 ± 0.14;P< 0.001). Compared with neutral-head mask ventilation, rotated-head mask ventilation was associated with higher expiratory tidal volume (TVe) (575.1 ± 148.6 ml versus 654.2 ± 204.0 ml;P= 0.049).Significance.Mask positive ventilation caused regional lung ventilation changes. When compared with neutral-head mask ventilation, rotated-head mask ventilation did not improve the regional ventilation towards to left lung. However, rotated-head mask ventilation was associated with higher TVe, and has the potential for better oxygenation.Trial Registration.This study was registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry on 6 August, 2024 (ChiCTR2400087858).

Positive expiratory pressure physiotherapy for airway clearance in people with cystic fibrosis.

ObjectivesTo evaluate use of a novel disposable Oscillating Positive Expiratory Pressure (OPEP) device (SoloPep) by children with CF.MethodsA convenience sample of 36 participants, all current OPEP device users, was recruited...

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a noninvasive method to monitor regional lung ventilation in infants and children without using radiation. The objective of this prospective study was to determine the value of EIT as an additional monitoring tool to assess regional lung ventilation after pediatric cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease in infants and children. EIT monitoring was performed in a prospective study comprising 30 pediatric patients who were mechanically ventilated after cardiac surgery. Data were analyzed off-line with respect to regional lung ventilation in different clinical situations. EIT data were correlated with respirator settings and arterial carbon dioxide (CO2) partial pressure in the blood. In 29 of 30 patients, regional ventilation of the lung could sufficiently and reliably be monitored by means of EIT. The effects of the transition from mechanical ventilation to spontaneous breathing after extubation on regional lung ventilation were studied. After extubation, a significant decrease of relative impedance changes was evident. In addition, a negative correlation of arterial CO2 partial pressure and relative impedance changes could be shown. EIT was sufficient to discriminate differences of regional lung ventilation in children and adolescents after cardiac surgery. EIT reliably provided additional information on regional lung ventilation in children after cardiac surgery. Neither chest tubes nor pacemaker wires nor the intensive care unit environment interfered with the application of EIT. EIT therefore may be used as an additional real-time monitoring tool in pediatric cardiac intensive care because it is noninvasive.

ARI is an acute respiratory disease characterized by signs of cough, runny nose, hoarseness, fever and discharge of mucus or mucus that lasts up to 14 days. The impact of ARI begins with the interaction of the virus with the body, viral irritation that causes damage to the structure of the lining of the respiratory tract which results in increased activity of the mucus glands in the walls of the respiratory tract, resulting in the release of mucosal fluid that exceeds normal and the problem that arises is ineffective airway clearance. The application of simple inhalation using eucalyptus oil can improve airway clearance in ARI patients. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of simple inhalation on improving airway clearance in children with ARI. The research method is experimental with a pre-post test design. The study was conducted by assessing airway clearance before and after simple inhalation therapy. The sample size in the study was 30 respondents determined by purposive sampling. The results of the study to be achieved in the form of a textbook integrated with the learning outcomes of the Pediatric Nursing course, HAKI, and national publications. The TKT target of this study is at level 2. The results of this study indicate that there is an effect of simple steam inhalation in improving airway clearance in children with ARI with a p value of 0.000. The conclusion of this study shows that simple steam inhalation can improve airway clearance in children with ARI. The suggestion of this study can be used as a guide for mothers at home who have children who experience ineffective airway clearance due to ARI.

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a functional radiation-free imaging technique that measures regional lung ventilation distribution by calculating the impedance changes in the corresponding regions. The aim of the present review was to summarize the current literature concerning the methodologies and applications of EIT in lung diseases with flow limitation and hyperinflation. PubMed was searched up to May 2020 to identify studies investigating the use of EIT in patients with asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchitis, bronchiolitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cystic fibrosis. The extracted data included study design, EIT methodologies, interventions, validation and comparators, population characteristics, and key findings. Of the 44 included studies, seven were related to simulation, animal experimentation, or reconstruction algorithm development with evaluation on patients; 27 studies had the primary objective of validating EIT technique and measures including regional ventilation distribution, regional EIT-spirometry parameters, end-expiratory lung impedance, and regional time constants; and 10 studies had the primary objective of applying EIT to monitor the response to therapeutic interventions, including various ventilation supports, patient repositioning, and airway suctioning. In pediatric and adult patients, EIT has been successfully validated for assessing spatial and temporal ventilation distribution, measuring changes in lung volume and flow, and studying regional respiratory mechanics. EIT has also demonstrated potential as an alternative or supplement to well-established measurement modalities (e.g., conventional pulmonary function testing) to monitor the progression of obstructive lung diseases, although the existing literature lacks prediction values as references and lacks clinical outcome evidence.

Functional electrical impedance tomography (EIT) measures relative impedance changes in lung tissue during tidal breathing and creates images of local ventilation distribution. A novel approach to analyse the effect of body position and positive pressure ventilation on intrapulmonary tidal volume distribution was evaluated in healthy adult subjects. Prospective experimental study in healthy adult subjects in the intensive care unit at university hospital. Ten healthy male adults. Change in body position from supine to prone, left and right lateral during spontaneous breathing and positive pressure support ventilation. EIT measurements and multiple-breath sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) washout were performed. Profiles of average relative impedance change in regional lung areas were calculated. Relative impedance time course analysis and Lissajous figure loop analysis were used to calculate phase angles between dependent or independent lung and total lung (phi). EIT data were compared to SF6 data washout measuring the lung clearance index (LCI). Proposed EIT profiles allowed inter-individual comparison of EIT data and identified areas with reduced regional tidal volume using pressure support ventilation. Phase angle phi of dependent lung in supine position was 11.7+/-1.4 degrees, in prone 5.3+/-0.5 degrees, in right lateral 11.0+/-1.3 degrees and in left lateral position 10.8+/-1.0 degree. LCI increased in supine position from 5.63+/-0.43 to 7.13+/-0.64 in prone position. Measured phi showed inverse relationship to LCI in the four different body positions. EIT profiles and phi of functional EIT are new methods to describe regional ventilation distribution with EIT allowing inter-individual comparison.

Objective: Chest electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is currently applied in neonatal and paediatric patients, mainly within clinical studies. The findings of these studies imply that lung monitoring using EIT provides valuable information on regional lung ventilation and aeration at the bedside that might improve the therapy and care of this fragile patient population. In view of this postulated future use of EIT in neonatology and paediatrics we have conducted an international survey to assess the perceived usefulness of several measures derived from EIT examinations. Approach: A questionnaire validating the clinical usefulness of 14 previously described EIT measures was designed and sent to 36 clinicians with previous experience with EIT in neonatal and paediatric patients. A numerical rating scale was used to assess the usefulness of each measure. Main results: Thirty-four clinicians from 12 countries responded to the invitation and 32 filled in the questionnaire. The mean clinical and EIT experience (±SD) of the respondents was 19.4 ± 9.1 years and 7.7 ± 5.8 years, respectively. The top-rated measures were the global inhomogeneity index, silent spaces, change in end-expiratory lung impedance and ventrodorsal centre of ventilation. The bottom-rated were the regional respiratory time constant, tidal volume normalised to ml, respiratory rate and heart rate on the last rank. Significance: The survey revealed that EIT measures characterising the ventilation and aeration distribution and the degree of their heterogeneity were deemed particularly useful. Respiratory rate, heart rate and overall tidal volume were considered less useful probably because these parameters are already routinely assessed by other conventional methods.

The identification of clinical indicators with good predictive ability allows the nurse to minimize the existing variability in clinical situations presented by the patient and to accurately identify the nursing diagnosis, which represents the true clinical condition. The purpose of this study was to analyze the accuracy of NANDA-I clinical indicators of the nursing diagnosis ineffective airway clearance (IAC) in children with acute respiratory infection. This was a prospective cohort study conducted with a group of 136 children and followed for a period of time ranging from 6 to 10 consecutive days. For data analysis, the measures of accuracy were calculated for clinical indicators, which presented statistical significance in a generalized estimated equation model. IAC was present in 91.9% of children in the first assessment. Adventitious breath sounds presented the best measure of accuracy. Ineffective cough presented a high value of sensitivity. Changes in respiratory rate, wide-eyed, diminished breath sounds, and difficulty vocalizing presented high positive predictive values. In conclusion, adventitious breath sounds showed the best predictive ability to diagnose IAC in children with respiratory acute infection.

Background: Studies that establish the indicators of clinical status deterioration of Ineffective airway clearance remain scarce. Prognostic studies provide data for nurses identify clinical indicators that suggest a higher chance of early development of a nursing diagnosis. Objective: To identify the prognostic indicators of short-term survival of ineffective airway clearance (IAC) in children with acute respiratory infection (ARI). Design: A prospective open cohort study. Methods: This study was with a group of 136 children with acute respiratory infection who were followed for a minimum of six and a maximum of ten consecutive days. Children who had not completed six days of monitoring or who were carriers of diseases that would alter the specific symptoms of respiratory infection were excluded. The survival rate of ineffective airway clearance was calculated using Nelson-Aalen's method. A Cox regression model was used to analyze the influence of clinical indicators on survival time of this diagnosis. Results: The diagnosis survival rate was extremely low (only 0.4% on the 5th day of follow-up). The greatest reduction in survival rate was observed in the first 48 h (survival rate = 2.5%). Four defining characteristics associated with a worse prognosis of IAC among children with ARI: ineffective cough (RR = 5.86; 95% CI: 3.53–9.72), absence of cough (RR = 2.92; 95% CI: 1.68–5.08), adventitious breath sounds (RR = 2.47; 95% CI: 2.01–3.03), and diminished breath sounds (RR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.05–1.45). Conclusion: Four clinical indicators showed a strong relationship with an increased risk of worsening clinical status associated with this nursing diagnosis. Impact statement: Clinical deterioration related to ineffective airway clearance among children with acute respiratory infection is fast and requires particular attention from nurses.

Quantity and quality of airway clearance in children and young people with cystic fibrosis

IntroductionElectrical impedance tomography (EIT), which can assess regional lung ventilation at the bedside, has never been compared with positron-emission tomography (PET), a gold-standard to quantify regional ventilation. This experiment systematically compared both techniques in injured and non-injured lungs.MethodsThe study was performed in six mechanically ventilated female piglets. In normal lungs, tidal volume (VT) was randomly changed to 6, 8, 10 and 15 ml/kg on zero end-expiratory pressure (ZEEP), then, at VT 10 ml/kg, positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) was randomly changed to 5, 10 and 15 cmH2O. Afterwards, acute lung injury (ALI) was subsequently created in three animals by injecting 3 ml/kg hydrochloric acid into the trachea. Then at PEEP 5 cmH2O, VT was randomly changed to 8 and 12 ml/kg and PEEP of 10 and 15 cmH2O applied at VT 10 ml/kg. EIT and PET examinations were performed simultaneously. EIT ventilation (VTEIT) and lung volume (VL) were measured in the anterior and posterior area of each lung. On the same regions of interest, ventilation (VPET) and aerated lung volume (VAatten) were determined with PET.ResultsOn ZEEP, VTEIT and VPET significantly correlated for global (VTEIT = VPET - 2E-13, R2 = 0.95, P < 0.001) and regional (VTEIT = 0.81VPET+7.65, R2 = 0.63, P < 0.001) ventilation over both conditions. For ALI condition, corresponding R2 were 0.91 and 0.73 (P < 0.01). Bias was = 0 and limits of agreement were -37.42 and +37.42 ml/min for global ventilation over both conditions. These values were 0.04 and -29.01 and +29.08 ml/min, respectively, for regional ventilation. Significant correlations were also found between VL and VAatten for global (VL = VAatten+1E-12, R2 = 0.93, P < 0.0001) and regional (VL = 0.99VAatten+0.92, R2 = 0.65, P < 0.001) volume. For ALI condition, corresponding R2 were 0.94 (P < 0.001) and 0.54 (P < 0.05). Bias was = 0 and limits of agreement ranged -38.16 and +38.16 ml for global ventilation over both conditions. These values were -0.24 and -31.96 to +31.48 ml, respectively, for regional ventilation.ConclusionsRegional lung ventilation and volume were accurately measured with EIT in healthy and injured lungs and validated by simultaneous PET imaging.

Cerebral Electrical Impedance Tomography: Background Noise or an Important Signal in Cerebral Monitoring in Aortic Arch Surgery?