Standing with the assistance of a tilt table improves minute ventilation in chronic critically ill patients.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of standing with assistance of the tilt table on ventilatory parameters and arterial blood gases in intensive care patients.


METHODS
Consecutive sample.


METHODS
Tertiary referral hospital.


METHODS
Fifteen adult patients who had been intubated and mechanically ventilated for more than 5 days (3 subjects successfully weaned, 12 subjects being weaned).


METHODS
Passive tilting to 70 degrees from the horizontal for 5 minutes using a tilt table.


METHODS
Minute ventilation (VE), tidal volume (VT), respiratory rate, and arterial partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2) and carbon dioxide (PaCO2).


RESULTS
Standing in the tilted position for 5 minutes produced significant increases in VE (P <.001) and produced both increases in respiratory rate (P <.001) and VT (P =.016) compared with baseline levels. These changes were maintained during the tilt intervention and immediately posttilt. Twenty minutes after the tilt, there were no significant changes in ventilatory measures of VE, VT, or arterial blood gases PaO2 and PaCO2 compared with initial values.


CONCLUSIONS
Standing for 5 minutes with assistance of a tilt table significantly increased ventilation in critical care patients during and immediately after the intervention. There were no improvements in gas exchange posttilt. Using a tilt table provided an effective method to increase ventilation in the short term.
Chang
Angela T
AT
Department of Physiotherapy, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia. a.chang@shrs.uq.edu.au
Boots
Robert J
RJ
Hodges
Paul W
PW
Thomas
Peter J
PJ
Paratz
Jennifer D
JD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology*; D012119:Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013990:Tidal Volume / Q000502:physiology