Goal-Oriented Respiratory Management for Critically Ill Patients with Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Figure 3

Peep titration with electrical impedance tomography in a patient with ARDS associated with H1N1-influenza virus infection. Legend: sequence of functional EIT images showing the progression of collapse along decremental PEEP levels (in blue, left panel) associated with progressive relief of overdistension (in white, left panel). Collapse was more prominent in the right lung. After analyzing the sequence of EIT images, the PEEP selected for this patient was 17 cmH₂O, believed to represent the best compromise between collapse and overdistension. According to the ARDSNet PEEP/FIO₂ table, this patient had been ventilated with a PEEP = 24 cmH₂O in the previous 48 hours. The patient was weaned from ventilator 3 days later.