Regional lung ventilation distribution before and after airway clearance therapy in kartagener syndrome: a case report

<bold>Background:</bold> Kartagener Syndrome can cause pulmonary secretion accumulation, worsening respiratory function. Due to its rarity and diverse health effects, optimizing respiratory function is not well discussed. Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) allows for regional ventilation distribution assessment and objective therapy monitoring. <bold>Objectives:</bold> Describe lung ventilation distribution changes in a Kartagener Syndrome patient with bronchiectasis undergoing Airway Clearance Therapy (ACT). <bold>Methods:</bold> Case report of a 44-year-old female with dyspnea and copious mucopurulent expectoration. Multimodal ACT was administered for 50 minutes, including increased expiratory flow, autogenic drainage, Exercise à Debit Inspiratoire Controlè (EDIC) combined with L’Expiration Lente Totale Glotte Ouverte en décubitus Latéral (ELTGOL), fractional inspiration, and Forced Expiration Technique (Huffing). Lung ventilation distribution was monitored pre and post-therapy using EIT Enlight 1800 monitor (Timpel, Brazil). <bold>Results:</bold> Initially, ventilation distribution exhibited heterogeneity, with 29% allocated to the right and 71% to the left lung, compared to (right: 36%, left: 64%) post-ACT, showing a more homogeneous distribution, accompanied by clinical improvement and symptom alleviation. <bold>Conclusions:</bold> ACT improved symptoms and homogenized lung ventilation distribution. EIT provided quantitative, objective therapy monitoring in real-time, transcending subjective patient perception.