title: [Measurement of the reserve function of inspiratory muscle and its clinical significance].
abstract: The principles of measuring inspiratory muscle tension-time index (TTim) and the ratio of the works of inspiration over the maximal works of inspiration (Wi/Wi(max)) were investigated and their formulae were deduced, i.e. TTim = (Pi x Ti)/(MIP x Ttot) and Wi/Wi(max) = (Pi x VT)/(MIP x IC). The importance of the inspiratory pressure and the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) measured at function residual capacity (FRC) level was emphasized. Both TTim and Wi/Wi(max) were measured in 35 normal subjects and 89 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The results showed that normal value of TTim was 0.0253 +/- 0.0055 which corresponds to the normal value of the diaphragm tension-time index (TTdi = 0.02-0.03) reported by Bellemare. Patients with COPD had a mean TTim much higher than that of normals (P < 0.01). The works of inspiration (Wi) in patients with COPD increased, while the maximal works of inspiration (Wi(max)) declined, so Wi/Wi(max) became significantly greater than that of normals (P < 0.01). The results also showed that there was a linear relationship between Pi/Pimax and TTim or Wi/Wimax (r = 0.7891, 0.9738, 0.6459, 0.9327, P < 0.01). Therefore, we suggest that both TTim and Wi/Wimax can be used as clinical indices to reflect the reserve function of inspiratory muscles.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005652:Functional Residual Capacity; D006801:Humans; D008173:Lung Diseases, Obstructive / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D008875:Middle Aged; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology*; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D014939:Work of Breathing