Electrical impedance tomography-guided prone positioning in a patient with acute cor pulmonale associated with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a noninvasive technique used to assess regional gas distribution in the lung. We experienced a patient with acute cor pulmonale during high positive-pressure ventilation for the treatment of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Prone positioning was beneficial for unloading the right ventricle for treatment of acute cor pulmonale. EIT played a role in detecting lung derecruitment at the patient’s bedside. Impedance distribution in ventral, mid-ventral, mid-dorsal, and dorsal layers before and 20 min after the start of prone positioning was 9, 48, 44, and 0 %, and 10, 25, 48, and 16 %, respectively. Lung recruitment monitored by EIT paralleled the improvement of PaO(2)/F(I)O(2) from 123 to 239 mmHg. Timing of termination of prone positioning and ventilator settings such as lowering positive end-expiration pressure was determined to maintain dorsal recruitment as seen by EIT. The patient was weaned from mechanical ventilation on day 32 and discharged on day 200. EIT assessed the effects of prone positioning with real-time dynamic imaging and guided less injurious mechanical ventilation in a patient with acute cor pulmonale with dorsal lung derecruitment.