title: Continuous non-invasive monitoring of tidal volumes by measurement of tidal impedance in neonatal piglets.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrical Impedance measurements can be used to estimate the content of intra-thoracic air and thereby give information on pulmonary ventilation. Conventional Impedance measurements mainly indicate relative changes, but no information concerning air-volume is given. The study was performed to test whether a 3-point-calibration with known tidal volumes (VT) during conventional mechanical ventilation (CMV) allows subsequent calculation of VT from total Tidal-Impedance (tTI) measurements using Quadrant Impedance Measurement (QIM). In addition the distribution of TI in different regions of the thorax was examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  QIM was performed in five neonatal piglets during volume-controlled CMV. tTI values at three different VT (4, 6, 8 ml/kg) were used to establish individual calibration curves. Subsequently, each animal was ventilated with different patterns of varying VT (2-10 ml/kg) at different PEEP levels (0, 3, 6, 9, 12 cmH(2)O). VT variation was repeated after surfactant depletion by bronchoalveolar lavage. VT was calculated from tTI values (VT(calc)) and compared to the VT delivered by the ventilator (VT(PNT)). Bland-Altman analysis revealed good agreement between VT(calc) and VT(PNT) before (bias -0.08 ml; limits of agreement -1.18 to 1.02 ml at PEEP = 3 cmH(2)O) and after surfactant depletion (bias -0.17 ml; limits of agreement -1.57 to 1.22 ml at PEEP = 3 cmH(2)O). At higher PEEP levels VT(calc) was lower than VT(PNT), when only one fixed calibration curve (at PEEP 3 cmH(2)O) was used. With a new calibration curve at each PEEP level the method showed similar accuracy at each PEEP level. TI showed a homogeneous distribution over the four assessed quadrants with a shift toward caudal regions of the thorax with increasing VT.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tidal Impedance values could be used for precise and accurate calculation of VT during CMV in this animal study, when calibrated at each PEEP level.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neonatology and Paediatric Intensive Care, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kurth
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zinnow
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Prakapenia
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dietl
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Winkler
authors.forename: Sascha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ifflaender
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rüdiger
authors.forename: Wolfram
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Burkhardt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002138:Calibration; D017097:Electric Impedance; D055370:Lung Injury / Q000503:physiopathology; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods*; D013552:Swine / Q000502:physiology; D013990:Tidal Volume