Bedside assessment of the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on lung inflation and recruitment by the helium dilution technique and electrical impedance tomography.

Purpose: Higher positive end-expiratory pressure might induce lung inflation and recruitment, yielding enhanced regional lung protection. We measured positive end-expiratory pressure-related lung volume changes by electrical impedance tomography and by the helium dilution technique. We also used electrical impedance tomography to assess the effects of positive end-expiratory pressure on regional determinants of ventilator-induced lung injury.