OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether long-term Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (NIMV) might have an effect on respiratory drive and respiratory muscles strength, measuring mouth occlusion pressure (P0,) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 20 consecutive patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure underwent measurements of dyspnea, respiratory drive and respiratory muscles strength before hospital treatment with NIMV; those patients who showed significant improvement of gas-exchange continued home ventilation for a period of four weeks, and were readmitted to hospital for re-evaluation of Borg's scale for dyspnea, P0,1 and MIP. RESULTS: Data obtained show a mild reduction of P0,1 and a significant improvement of respiratory muscles strength, with satisfactory dyspnea relief. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that unloading respiratory muscles through mechanical ventilation results in better muscle performance in the long-term that could act, together with normalization of gas-exchange, on neuromuscular respiratory drive and contribute to dyspnea relief.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether long-term Non-Invasive Mechanical Ventilation (NIMV) might have an effect on respiratory drive and respiratory muscles strength, measuring mouth occlusion pressure (P0,) and maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 20 consecutive patients with hypercapnic respiratory failure underwent measurements of dyspnea, respiratory drive and respiratory muscles strength before hospital treatment with NIMV; those patients who showed significant improvement of gas-exchange continued home ventilation for a period of four weeks, and were readmitted to hospital for re-evaluation of Borg's scale for dyspnea, P0,1 and MIP. RESULTS: Data obtained show a mild reduction of P0,1 and a significant improvement of respiratory muscles strength, with satisfactory dyspnea relief. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that unloading respiratory muscles through mechanical ventilation results in better muscle performance in the long-term that could act, together with normalization of gas-exchange, on neuromuscular respiratory drive and contribute to dyspnea relief.