Eligible adult patients diagnosed with acute respiratory failure (PaO₂/FiO₂ ≤ 300 mmHg) and concomitant hypertension (including post-surgical or aortic dissection cases) admitted to the ICU will be enrolled after stabilization.
After baseline EIT and blood gas measurements, participants will sequentially receive nitroglycerin and nicardipine under controlled conditions, with each medication infused over a standardized time period while continuously monitoring vital signs.
EIT-derived ventilation and perfusion images will be acquired at baseline, 30 minutes after nitroglycerin, and 30 minutes after nicardipine.
The primary endpoint is the change in the regional ventilation-perfusion matching index (V/Q-MI). Secondary endpoints include changes in oxygenation, arterial blood gases, and hemodynamic parameters.
All data will be statistically analyzed using paired comparisons and multivariate regression to assess drug-specific effects on pulmonary gas exchange.
