title: [Ventilation function disorder of flail arm syndrome].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the features of ventilation function in patients with flail arm syndrome (FAS).
  
  
  METHODS
  The clinical data of 351 patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from 2009 to 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. Among them, 329 were classical ALS and 22 were FAS. The differences of forced vital capacity (FVC) between FAS and classical ALS were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percent predicted FVC (FVC% pred) values were (88.0 ± 9.5)% in FAS and (84.3 ± 16.8)% in classical ALS including 4 and 128 patients with abnormal FVC% pred (< 80%) in FAS and classical ALS, respectively. The FVC% pred levels were significantly higher in FAS subjects [(88.0 ± 9.5)%] than in classical ALS subjects of bulb [(80.0 ± 14.8)%] or those of upper limb [(80.8 ± 16.0)%] onset with duration over 12 months (All P < 0.05). The proportion of subjects with FVC% pred < 80% was statistically lower in FAS [18.2% (4/22)] than in both classical ALS of upper limb onset [42.8% (80/187); P = 0.037] and classical ALS with duration over one year [48.5% (48/99); P = 0.009].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Impaired ventilation function occurs less and later in FAS than that in classical ALS of upper limb onset with duration over one year, suggesting later and less requirement for non-invasive positive pressure ventilation treatment for FAS patients. Differentiation of FAS subjects from ALS helps assess prognosis and make treatment plan for these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Huagang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China; Email: dsfan@sina.com.
authors.forename: Dongsheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fan
mesh_terms: D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D001132:Arm / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005541:Forced Expiratory Volume / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D011379:Prognosis; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests / Q000379:methods; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology*; D015619:Respiratory System Abnormalities / Q000209:etiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013990:Tidal Volume; D014797:Vital Capacity / Q000502:physiology