Respiratory Muscle Training in Mechanically Ventilated Adult Patients: Toward a Precise Prescription Based on Current Evidence: A Scoping Review

• Published in: Journal of clinical medicine Vol. 14; no. 14; p. 5058
• Main Authors: Carabalí-Rivera, Jennifer Andrea, Salazar-Muñoz, Valeria, Villanueva-Londoño, Evelyn dayana, González-Ruiz, Katherine, Arzayus-Patiño, Leonardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 17.07.2025; MDPI
• Subjects: Adults; Analysis; Artificial respiration; Clinical outcomes; Clinical trials; Content analysis; Evidence-based medicine; Hospital utilization; Intensive care; Length of stay; Medical Subject Headings-MeSH; Methods; Muscle strength; Patient outcomes; Pulmonary function tests; Quality of life; Respiration; Respiratory muscles; Review; Subject heading schemes; Training; Ventilators; Weaning; Colombia; United States; muscle strength; patients; artificial respiration; mechanical; adult; respiratory muscle training; respiratory muscles; breathing exercises; hospital mortality; ventilators; intensive care units
• ISSN: 2077-0383; 2077-0383
• DOI: 10.3390/jcm14145058

Respiratory muscle training (RMT) has been proposed as a supportive strategy for adults receiving invasive mechanical ventilation; however, the way RMT is prescribed—mode, intensity, frequency, and volume—remains highly heterogeneous. Objectives: This study aimed to describe the current evidence regarding the prescription of respiratory muscle strengthening in terms of frequency, intensity, method, and volume in adult patients under mechanical ventilation in intensive care units. Methods: A scoping review was conducted following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines based on searches in electronic databases including Scopus, SciELO, ScienceDirect, PubMed, LILACS, Springer, Web of Science, Google Scholar, PEDro, Dialnet, and Cochrane. Results: Seven studies met the established inclusion criteria and described prescription protocols for respiratory muscle strengthening in adult patients under mechanical ventilation in intensive care units. Conclusions: The most frequently reported protocol involved threshold load training at 40–50% of maximal inspiratory pressure, administered twice daily, every day of the week, with a volume of 30 repetitions. This intervention showed promising results in improving inspiratory muscle strength, with potential additional benefits in weaning success and pulmonary function.