Managing respiratory muscle weakness during weaning from invasive ventilation

What is it about?

In intensive care, releasing the patient from the ventilator is a difficult and decisive step in which the respiratory muscles play a major role. Their weakness has important consequences for the patient and this is not only due to the impairment of the central breathing muscle, the diaphragm. The inspiratory and expiratory muscles also play an important role. Mechanical ventilation is the main risk factor for this condition, but sepsis is also frequently associated. The diagnosis is initially clinical (paradoxical movement of the abdominal compartment) and then paraclinical (maximum inspiratory pressure and ultrasound). This diagnosis should not discourage attempts to free the patient from the ventilator and therapeutics seem to be effective, the most important of which is the preservation and restoration of respiratory muscle function.

Featured Image