Ventilation inhomogeneity in patients with cystic fibrosis measured by electrical impedance tomography

Objective: The distribution of ventilation within the lung is inhomogeneous. We hypothesized that the degree of inhomogeneity in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) differs from that in healthy subjects. Method: Three adult patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and two healthy subjects were recruited for this preliminary study. Subjects were asked to breathe in as deep and exhale as hard as possible three times. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) measurements were performed during spirometry tests. The global inhomogeneity index(GI) was applied to assess the degree of ventilation homogeneity at 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of maximum inspiratory volume. Results: Airway obstruction was detected in CF patients but not in healthy volunteers during spirometry tests. GI decreased as inspiratory volume increased in CF patients (0.59+/-0.20 at 25% and 0.39+/-0.09 at 100%, p<0.01, mean+/-SD) while GI remained unchanged in healthy subjects (0.40+/-0.05 at 25% and 0.37+/-0.03 at 100%, p=0.31). Conclusion: Degree of ventilation homogeneity appears to vary during forced respiration in CF patients, but not in healthy volunteers. EIT is a practical method to measure the inhomogeneity of ventilation distribution

Recommendations of the Thoracic Imaging Section of the German Radiological Society for clinical application of chest imaging and structured CT reporting in the COVID-19 pandemic

This information provided by the Thoracic Imaging Section of the German Radiological Society is intended to give physicians recommendations on the use of thoracic imaging procedures in the context of the current COVID-19 pandemic. It represents the consensus of the authors based on the previous scientific knowledge and is intended to provide guidance for unified, structured CT reporting if COVID-19 pneumonia is suspected. The recommendations presented correspond to state of knowledge at the time of print and will be updated according to the results of ongoing and future scientific studies. Key Points: COVID-19 chest imaging German Radiological Societ