title: Regional and overall ventilation inhomogeneities in preterm and term-born infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We compared ventilation inhomogeneity assessed by electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and multiple breath washout (MBW) in preterm and term-born infants. We hypothesised that EIT measurements in spontaneously breathing infants are repeatable and that differences in regional ventilation distribution measured by EIT can distinguish between preterm and term-born infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional group comparison study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Lung function laboratory at a University Children's Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen healthy term-born and 15 preterm infants at a matched postmenstrual age of 44 weeks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We concurrently measured ventilation inhomogeneity by EIT, ventilation inhomogeneity (LCI) and functional residual capacity (FRC) by MBW and tidal breathing variables during unsedated quiet sleep. EIT measurements were highly repeatable (coefficient of variation 3.6%). Preterm infants showed significantly more ventilation of the independent parts of the lungs compared to healthy term-born infants assessed by EIT (mean difference 5.0, 95 CI 1.3-8%). Whereas the two groups showed no differences in lung volumes or ventilation inhomogeneities assessed by MBW, EIT discriminated better between term and preterm infants. (FRC/kg: mean difference 1.1 mL, 95% CI -1.4-3.8 mL; LCI: mean difference 0.03, 95% CI -0.32-0.25).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  EIT shows distinct differences in ventilation distribution between preterm and term-born infants, which cannot be detected by MBW. Although preterm infants are capable of dynamically maintaining overall functional residual volume and ventilation distribution, they show some spatial differences from fullterm infants.
authors.affiliation: Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, Department of Paediatrics, Inselspital, University Children's Hospital, University of Bern, 3010, Bern, Switzerland. thomas.riedel@insel.ch
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Riedel
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kyburz
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Latzin
authors.forename: Cindy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thamrin
authors.forename: Urs
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Frey
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D012890:Sleep / Q000502:physiology