Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-Letters: Submit a response to the article
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (7)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mills, G. H.
Right arrow Articles by Green, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mills, G. H.
Right arrow Articles by Green, M.
Social Bookmarking
 Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2001, Vol. 87, No. 6 876-884
© 2001 The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia


Clinical Investigations

Tracheal tube pressure change during magnetic stimulation of the phrenic nerves as an indicator of diaphragm strength on the intensive care unit

G. H. Mills*,1, J. Ponte2, C. H. Hamnegard3, D. Kyroussis1, M. I. Polkey4, J. Moxham4 and M. Green1

1Respiratory Muscle Laboratory, Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Brompton Hospital, London, UK. 2Department of Anaesthetics, King’s College Hospital, London, UK. 3Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Clinical Physiology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Goteborg, Sweden. 4Respiratory Muscle Laboratory, Department of Thoracic Medicine, King’s College Hospital, London, UK*Corresponding author: Department of Surgical and Anaesthetic Sciences, K floor, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield S10 2 JF, UK

Diaphragm strength can be assessed from twitch gastric (TwPgas), twitch oesophageal (TwPoes), and twitch transdiaphragmatic pressure (TwPdi) in response to phrenic nerve stimulation. This requires the passage of balloon catheters, which may be difficult. Changes in pressure measured at the mouth during phrenic nerve stimulation avoid the need for balloon catheters. We hypothesized that pressures measured at the tracheal tube during phrenic stimulation, could also reflect oesophageal pressure change as a result of isolated diaphragmatic contraction and, therefore, reflect diaphragm strength. We aimed to establish the relationship between twitch tracheal tube pressure (TwPet), TwPoes, and TwPdi in patients in the supine and sitting positions. The phrenic nerves were stimulated magnetically bilaterally, in 14 ICU patients while supine and on another occasion while sitting up at 45°. In the sitting position mean TwPoes was 9.1 cm H2O and TwPet 11.3 cm H2O (mean (SD) difference –2.2 (SD 1.5)). In the supine position mean TwPoes was 8.1 cm H2O and TwPet 9.9 cm H2O (mean difference –1.8 (2.2)). The difference between TwPoes and TwPet was less at low twitch amplitude; less than ±1 cm H2O below a mean twitch height of 8 cm H2O supine and 10 cm H2O sitting. Sitting TwPet was related to TwPoes r2=0.93 and TwPdi r2=0.65 (P<0.01). Supine TwPet was related to TwPoes r2=0.84 and TwPdi r2=0.83 (P<0.01). The mean within occasion coefficient of variation while sitting was TwPet=13.3%, TwPoes=13.9%, TwPdi=11.2%, and supine TwPet=11.6%, TwPoes=14.6%, TwPdi=11.8%. We conclude that TwPet reflects TwPoes during diaphragmatic stimulation and is worthy of further study to establish its place as a guide to the presence of respiratory muscle strength and fatigue.

Br J Anaesth 2001; 87: 876–84


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
M. Vitacca, M. Paneroni, L. Bianchi, E. Clini, A. Vianello, P. Ceriana, L. Barbano, B. Balbi, and S. Nava
Maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressure measurement in tracheotomised patients
Eur. Respir. J., February 1, 2006; 27(2): 343 - 349.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Home page
Eur Respir JHome page
W.D-C. Man, J. Moxham, and M.I. Polkey
Magnetic stimulation for the measurement of respiratory and skeletal muscle function
Eur. Respir. J., November 1, 2004; 24(5): 846 - 860.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]



Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.