Thoracic electrical impedance tomography to minimize right heart strain following cardiac arrest

Abstract

Titrating ventilator settings to minimize pulmonary arterial pressures and optimize both ventilation and oxygen delivery can be challenging following cardiac arrest. Erroneous ventilator adjustments can lead to unnecessary strain on the right ventricle that may be particularly vulnerable during the acute recovery. We report a child with fulminant myocarditis who was mechanically ventilated using thoracic electrical impedance tomography to optimize regional lung inflation and possibly curtail right ventricular afterload following cardiac arrest.

Keywords

• Cardiac arrest
• children
• electrical impedance
• mechanical ventilator
• myocarditis