PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Anna Folino
AU  - Sheila Beux
AU  - Laura Barrocu
AU  - Irene Esposito
AU  - Elvira Rizza
AU  - Manuela Goia
AU  - Lorenzo Appendini
AU  - Elisabetta Bignamini
TI  - Electrical impedance tomography in the evaluation of effectiveness of chest physiotherapy
AID  - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.1269
DP  - 2020 Sep 07
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - 1269
VI  - 56
IP  - suppl 64
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/1269.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/1269.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2020 Sep 07; 56
AB  - Introduction: Chest physiotherapy, such as PEP mask (with/without an inspiratory pause), plays a role in respiratory management of Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients. Aims of this study were: 1) to evaluate the PEP mask efficacy in terms of lung inhomogeneity (GI) and end-expiratory lung volume (ΔEELI) reduction as assessed by Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) changes; 2) to evaluate if an inspiratory pause added to PEP mask trials resulted in a greater lung homogeneity/recruitment.Methods: Thirty-two CF patients were enrolled. EIT recording before, during and post PEP mask (5 cycles: 3 cycles with inspiratory pause followed by 2 cycles without pause or vice versa into two randomized subgroups) were taken. A further analysis was performed by considering the pancreatic status.Results: Taken as a whole, data showed that GI was significantly reduced both during each PEP mask cycle (p<0,01) and post-physiotherapy (p<0,05). Subgroups analysis showed that the above results were observed only in those in which the three cycles of PEP mask with inspiratory pause followed the two without it (p<0,01 and p<0,05, during and after physiotherapy, respectively). ΔEELI values did not change throughout the protocol. Patients without pancreatic insufficiency presented significantly reduced GI values both during the PEP mask cycles (p <0,01), and in the post-physiotherapy (p< 0,05); no significant changes in GI emerged in patients with pancreatic insufficiency.Conclusion: In this study we highlighted that EIT can be a valid tool to design chest physiotherapy, evaluate in real time its benefits and to individualize the PEP mask treatment (e.g. in CF patients according to pancreatic status).FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 1269.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only).