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Background: Bedside ultrasound is often used to determine the etiology of hypoxaemia, but not always with definitive results. This case reports the application of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) and saline injection to determine the etiology of hypoxaemia in a complex case that could not be identified by bedside ultrasound. The determination of the etiology of hypoxaemia by EIT and saline injection, regional ventilation and perfusion information can be used as a new clinical diagnostic method. Case presentation: A post-cardiac surgery patient under prolonged mechanical ventilation for lung emphysema developed sudden hypoxemia in the intensive care unit (ICU). A line pattern and lung sliding sign abolishment were found in the left lung, but there was no evidence of a lung point sign on bedside ultrasound. Hence, the initial diagnosis was considered to be a massive pneumothorax. To further define the etiology, EIT and saline bolus were used to assess regional ventilation and perfusion. A massive ventilation defect was found in the left lung, in which regional perfusion was maintained, resulting in an intrapulmonary shunt in the left lung. Finally, the conjecture of a pneumothorax was ruled out considering the massive atelectasis. After the diagnosis was clarified, hypoxaemia was corrected by restorative ventilation of the left lung after changing the patient's posture and enhancing sputum drainage with chest physiotherapy. Conclusions: This was the clinical case involving EIT and saline bolus to establish the differential diagnosis and guide clinical decisions for patients with acute hypoxemia. This study highlighted that combination regional ventilation, EIT perfusion, and saline bolus provided helpful information for determining the etiology of hypoxemia. The results of this study contribute to the development of emergency patient management.
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OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of nurse-led, goal-directed lung physiotherapy on the prognosis of patients with sepsis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii pulmonary infection. METHODS: Patients with sepsis caused by A. baumannii pulmonary infection were recruited and divided into a control group (phase 1) and a treatment group (phase 2). Both groups received standard therapy for sepsis, and patients in phase 2 also received nurse-led, goal-directed lung physiotherapy. The primary outcome measure was 28-day mortality. RESULTS: Among 742 patients with sepsis, 201 were diagnosed with A. baumannii pulmonary infection. Compared with patients in phase 1, patients in phase 2 had a significantly shorter duration of mechanical ventilation {median 4 (interquartile range (IQR) 3-5] vs 5 (IQR 3-12) days; P = 0.004}, lower intensive care unit (ICU) mortality [13.6% (18/132) vs 27.5% (19/69); P = 0.016] and lower 28-day mortality [21.2% (28/132) vs 37.7% (26/69); P = 0.012]. As a protective factor, nurse-led, goal-directed lung physiotherapy (odds ratio 0.341, 95% confidence interval 0.155-0.751; P = 0.008) was an independent risk factor for 28-day mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Nurse-led, goal-directed lung physiotherapy shortened the duration of mechanical ventilation and ICU stay, and decreased ICU mortality and 28-day mortality in patients with sepsis caused by A. baumannii pulmonary infection.