Coexistence and Impact of Limb Muscle and Diaphragm Weakness at Time of Liberation from Mechanical Ventilation in Medical Intensive Care Unit Patients.
Intensive care unit (ICU)- and mechanical ventilation (MV)-acquired limb muscle and diaphragm dysfunction may both be associated with longer length of stay and worse outcome. Whether they are two aspects of the same entity or have a different prevalence and prognostic impact remains unclear.



To quantify the prevalence and coexistence of these two forms of ICU-acquired weakness and their impact on outcome.



In patients undergoing a first spontaneous breathing trial after at least 24 hours of MV, diaphragm dysfunction was evaluated using twitch tracheal pressure in response to bilateral anterior magnetic phrenic nerve stimulation (a pressure <11 cm H2O defined dysfunction) and ultrasonography (thickening fraction [TFdi] and excursion). Limb muscle weakness was defined as a Medical Research Council (MRC) score less than 48.



Seventy-six patients were assessed at their first spontaneous breathing trial: 63% had diaphragm dysfunction, 34% had limb muscle weakness, and 21% had both. There was a significant but weak correlation between MRC score and twitch pressure (ρ = 0.26; P = 0.03) and TFdi (ρ = 0.28; P = 0.01), respectively. Low twitch pressure (odds ratio, 0.60; 95% confidence interval, 0.45-0.79; P < 0.001) and TFdi (odds ratio, 0.84; 95% confidence interval, 0.76-0.92; P < 0.001) were independently associated with weaning failure, but the MRC score was not. Diaphragm dysfunction was associated with higher ICU and hospital mortality, and limb muscle weakness was associated with longer duration of MV and hospital stay.



Diaphragm dysfunction is twice as frequent as limb muscle weakness and has a direct negative impact on weaning outcome. The two types of muscle weakness have only limited overlap.
1 Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale et Clinique, Paris, France.|2 AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), Paris, France.
Martin
M
Dres
1 Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale et Clinique, Paris, France.|3 Département de Médecine, Service de Pneumologie, Hôpital Hôtel-Dieu du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Bruno-Pierre
BP
Dubé
2 AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), Paris, France.
Julien
J
Mayaux
2 AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), Paris, France.
Julie
J
Delemazure
2 AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), Paris, France.
Danielle
D
Reuter
4 Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; and.|5 Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Laurent
L
Brochard
1 Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale et Clinique, Paris, France.|2 AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), Paris, France.
Thomas
T
Similowski
1 Sorbonne Universités, UPMC University Paris 06, INSERM, UMRS1158 Neurophysiologie Respiratoire Expérimentale et Clinique, Paris, France.|2 AP-HP, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière Charles Foix, Service de Pneumologie et Réanimation Médicale (Département "R3S"), Paris, France.
Alexandre
A
Demoule
D003964:Diaphragm / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005121:Extremities; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography; D015300:Ventilator Weaning
diaphragm dysfunction; intensive care unit–acquired weakness; weaning from mechanical ventilation