Longitudinal Multimodal Assessment in Severe Pneumonia: A Narrative Review of Chest Computed Tomography, Electrical Impedance Tomography, and Digital Lung Sounds
- 1Department of Pediatrics, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
- 2Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
- 3Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100730, China
Abstract
Severe pneumonia requires repeated assessment, but anatomical abnormalities, oxygenation, and regional ventilation may follow different recovery trajectories. This narrative review examines chest computed tomography (CT), electrical impedance tomography (EIT), and digital lung sounds as complementary sources of structural, ventilation, and acoustic information, with lung ultrasound (LUS) considered as an important bedside comparator. Focused searches and source verification were conducted in October 2026, with an evidence publication cutoff of 15 July 2026. CT characterizes whole-lung anatomy and complications when clinically indicated; EIT tracks regional ventilation-related changes; and digital auscultation provides stored recordings for serial and remote review. LUS supports bedside assessment of accessible peripheral lesions, pleural abnormalities, and reaeration. Small pneumonia studies support the measurement of regional ventilation trends, and selected controlled studies report favorable short-term findings. Acoustic evidence is concentrated in pediatric populations, with limited adult severe-pneumonia validation. Findings from ARDS and ventilator-weaning studies provide additional physiological context. The proposed longitudinal framework brings these complementary signals together across early assessment, treatment response, ICU transitions, and recovery. Prospective studies should establish its reproducibility, incremental clinical value, resource requirements, and effects on patient-important outcomes before routine implementation.
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BibTeX
@article{xia2026longitudinal,
title = {{Longitudinal Multimodal Assessment in Severe Pneumonia: A Narrative Review of Chest Computed Tomography, Electrical Impedance Tomography, and Digital Lung Sounds}},
author = {Meihong Xia and Xingyue Su and Jing Liu and Di Lv and Jianning Guo and Qin Hui and Fang Ye and Yuanmei Chen and Chao Wang and Lijuan Tang and Qi Zhang},
journal = {Journal of Clinical Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/jcm15218623},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8623},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Longitudinal Multimodal Assessment in Severe Pneumonia: A Narrative Review of Chest Computed Tomography, Electrical Impedance Tomography, and Digital Lung Sounds
AU - Meihong Xia
AU - Xingyue Su
AU - Jing Liu
AU - Di Lv
AU - Jianning Guo
AU - Qin Hui
AU - Fang Ye
AU - Yuanmei Chen
AU - Chao Wang
AU - Lijuan Tang
AU - Qi Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/05
JO - Journal of Clinical Medicine
DO - 10.3390/jcm15218623
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/15/21/8623
AB - Severe pneumonia requires repeated assessment, but anatomical abnormalities, oxygenation, and regional ventilation may follow different recovery trajectories. This narrative review examines chest computed tomography (CT), electrical impedance tomography (EIT), and digital lung sounds as complementary sources of structural, ventilation, and acoustic information, with lung ultrasound (LUS) considered as an important bedside comparator. Focused searches and source verification were conducted in October 2026, with an evidence publication cutoff of 15 July 2026. CT characterizes whole-lung anatomy and complications when clinically indicated; EIT tracks regional ventilation-related changes; and digital auscultation provides stored recordings for serial and remote review. LUS supports bedside assessment of accessible peripheral lesions, pleural abnormalities, and reaeration. Small pneumonia studies support the measurement of regional ventilation trends, and selected controlled studies report favorable short-term findings. Acoustic evidence is concentrated in pediatric populations, with limited adult severe-pneumonia validation. Findings from ARDS and ventilator-weaning studies provide additional physiological context. The proposed longitudinal framework brings these complementary signals together across early assessment, treatment response, ICU transitions, and recovery. Prospective studies should establish its reproducibility, incremental clinical value, resource requirements, and effects on patient-important outcomes before routine implementation.
SN - 2077-0383
ER -