Strategies to optimize respiratory muscle function in ICU patients

• Published in: Critical care (London, England) Vol. 20; no. 1; p. 103
• Main Authors: Schellekens, Willem-Jan M, van Hees, Hieronymus W H, Doorduin, Jonne, Roesthuis, Lisanne H, Scheffer, Gert Jan, van der Hoeven, Johannes G, Heunks, Leo M A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England BioMed Central Ltd 19.04.2016; BioMed Central
• Subjects: Artificial respiration; Critical care; Critical Illness - nursing; Critical Illness - therapy; Critically ill; Evidence-Based Medicine - methods; Health aspects; Humans; Intensive Care Units; Muscle weakness; Muscle Weakness - complications; Muscle Weakness - prevention & control; Muscle Weakness - therapy; Respiration, Artificial - adverse effects; Respiratory Muscles - physiopathology; Review; Risk Factors; Services; Time Factors; Treatment Outcome
• ISSN: 1364-8535; 1466-609X; 1364-8535; 1366-609X
• DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1280-y

Respiratory muscle dysfunction may develop rapidly in critically ill ventilated patients and is associated with increased morbidity, length of intensive care unit stay, costs, and mortality. This review briefly discusses the pathophysiology of respiratory muscle dysfunction in intensive care unit patients and then focuses on strategies that prevent the development of muscle weakness or, if weakness has developed, how respiratory muscle function may be improved. We propose a simple strategy for how these can be implemented in clinical care.