Electrical Impedance Tomography-derived Flow Index During Spontaneous Breathing Trial Stratifies the Risk of Reintubation Within 48 h After Extubation

Accurate prediction of readiness to liberate patients from mechanical ventilation remains challenging. Conventional indices such as the rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) often miss early signs of injurious breathing patterns or regional ventilation asynchrony that can lead to extubation failure. Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) provides continuous, non-invasive imaging of regional lung ventilation. We developed a novel EIT-derived Flow Index (FI) which integrates the magnitude of inspiratory effort with the temporal synchrony of lung filling. This prospective, multicenter observational study aimed to (1) validate the predictive value of FI during spontaneous breathing trials (SBT) compared with conventional weaning indices, and (2) compare the predictive ability of EFI with traditional weaning indices(RSBI,MIP,P0.1).