[Possible effects of non invasive mechanical ventilation on respiratory drive and muscles].
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).


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.
Perrone
A
A
Servizio di Fisiopatologia Respiratoria, Dipartimento di Scienze Cardiovascolari e Respiratorie, Policlinico Umberto I, 00161 Roma, Italia. alessandro.perrone@uniroma1.it
Quacquarelli
M E
ME
Barbarossa
A
A
Cargoni
A
A
Magliocco
C
C
Masciangelo
V
V
Brunori
M
M
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001784:Blood Gas Analysis; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000628:therapy*; D007320:Inspiratory Capacity / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008451:Maximal Voluntary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods*; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000628:therapy*; D015656:Respiratory Mechanics / Q000502:physiology*; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
D010100:Oxygen