Aplicabilidade da tomografia de impedância elétrica no manejo fisioterapêutico

Abstract

Respiratory physiotherapy aims to optimize pulmonary function, and accurate monitoring is essential for the success of therapeutic interventions. The objective of this study was to analyze the applicability of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) in the physiotherapeutic management of adult patients, highlighting its effectiveness as a method for assessing pulmonary mechanics and the regional distribution of ventilation. This integrative literature review was conducted systematically based on the PICOD strategy to answer the question: “What is the utility of Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) as an assessment tool to guide physiotherapeutic interventions in adult patients?” The literature search was performed in the Cochrane Library, PubMed/MEDLINE, and PEDro databases using the MeSH descriptors Adult, Physical Therapy, and Electrical Impedance Tomography. The final sample included seven studies (n=176) with levels of evidence II to IV, focusing on critically ill, postoperative, or chronically ill adult patients. EIT was used to monitor regional ventilation during

interventions such as Positive End-Expiratory Pressure (PEEP) titration, breath- stacking, and High-Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO). The main outcomes

included improved ventilatory distribution, increased lung compliance, and reduced patient–ventilator asynchrony following physiotherapeutic interventions. It is concluded that EIT is an effective tool for personalizing interventions in respiratory physiotherapy. However, its high cost and limited accessibility still restrict its clinical use, and further studies are needed to expand its feasibility and applicability in healthcare services. Keywords: adult, pulmonary mechanics, respiratory physiotherapy, monitoring.