Exploring Pulmonary Ventilation Distribution in Healthy Individuals Using Electrical Impedance Tomography

Introduction. Pulmonary ventilation is essential for gas exchange and maintenance of homeostasis. Traditional methods such as spirometry and arterial blood gas analysis do not provide detailed information on the spatial distribution within the lungs. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has emerged as a noninvasive technique that generates dynamic images of ventilation without ionizing radiation. This cross-sectional descriptive study sought to analyze the distribution of pulmonary ventilation in healthy individuals using EIT. Methods. Sixty healthy participants, over 18 years of age, with no comorbidities or lung diseases, with a BMI < 35 kg/m², confirmed by spirometry, were recruited. Using the PulmoVista 500® EIT equipment, the regional variation of ventilation and its distribution across regions of interest (ROI) were evaluated. Results. The results showed greater ventilation in the posterior lung areas (ROI 3 and ROI 4), with 35% in ROI 3 as the highest and 15% in ROI 2 as the lowest (p < 0.05). Younger participants (18-34 years) exhibited more ventilation in anterior areas (ROI 1 and ROI 2), while older subjects (51-65 years) showed greater ventilation in posterior areas. Greater ventilation was also evident in the right lung (p < 0.001), especially in ROI 3. Conclusion. EIT demonstrated a predominantly posterior distribution in the sitting position, with differences according to age and lung region, highlighting its usefulness in assessing ventilation and encouraging future research.