Effect of closed endotracheal suction in high-frequency ventilated premature infants measured with electrical impedance tomography
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Updated: Jun 20, 2026
Monitoring Lung Function with Electrical Impedance Tomography in the Intensive Care Unit
Published on: September 6, 2024
Mariëtte B van Veenendaal1, Martijn Miedema, Frans H C de Jongh
1Department of Neonatology (H3-144), Emma Children's Hospital AMC, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Objective:
To determine the global and regional changes in lung volume during and after closed endotracheal tube (ETT) suction in high-frequency ventilated preterm infants with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).
Design:
Prospective observational clinical study.
Setting:
Neonatal intensive care unit.
Patients:
Eleven non-muscle relaxed preterm infants with RDS ventilated with open lung high-frequency ventilation (HFV).
Interventions:
Closed ETT suction.
Measurements And Results:
Changes in global and regional lung volume were measured with electrical impedance tomography. ETT suction resulted in an acute loss of lung volume followed by spontaneous recovery with a median residual loss of 3.3% of the maximum volume loss. The median stabilization time was 8 s. At the regional level, the lung volume changes during and after ETT suction were heterogeneous in nature.
Conclusions:
Closed ETT suction causes an acute, transient and heterogeneous loss of lung volume in premature infants with RDS treated with open lung HFV.
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