Clinical Application of Electrical Impedance Tomography in Emergency and Critical Care Medicine

Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) is a promising imaging tool in critical care. Its capacity to provide noninvasive bedside visualization of regional ventilation and perfusion with high temporal resolution makes it an ideal monitoring modality for patients on ventilation. However, its widespread implementation has been hindered by physical limitations in spatial resolution and a lack of robust evidence linking its use to improved clinical outcomes. In recent years, the commercialization of several bedside devices has led to growing clinical experience, gradually yielding concrete evidence regarding its clinical utility. Furthermore, beyond respiratory monitoring, data are increasingly accumulating in non-pulmonary fields, including perfusion, neuro-critical care and gastroenterology. Therefore, the objective of this review is to synthesize emerging evidence regarding the recent clinical applications of electrical impedance tomography and discuss future perspectives.