To examine the relationship between end-expiratory lung volume and respiratory muscle work during acute bronchoconstriction, we measured the work of breathing in nine asthmatic subjects, in whom bronchoconstriction was induced with histamine aerosol. When the forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) fell below 60% of the control value, work was measured at the spontaneously hyperinflated l...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of a flow-proportional delivery system and the pattern of inspiratory nitric oxide (NO) concentration during different flow conditions. DESIGN Laboratory study in a lung model. SETTING University experimental laboratory. SUBJECT With a new delivery system, NO was administered proportional to the inspiratory flow into the inspiratory circuit to deliver a ...

[Purpose] This study investigated the effects of self-stretching of cervical muscles, because the accessory inspiratory muscle is considered to improve pulmonary function. [Subjects] The subjects were 30 healthy university students 19-21 years old who did not have any lung disease, respiratory dysfunction, cervical injury, or any problems upon cervical stretching. [Methods] Spirometry was used ...

OBJECTIVE To report the use of inspiratory muscle strength training to treat repeated ventilatory insufficiency in a child with nemaline myopathy who underwent cardiac and renal transplantation. DESIGN Case report. SETTING Pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary care university teaching hospital. PATIENT A 16-yr-old female with nemaline myopathy affecting cardiorespiratory function, r...

BACKGROUND In acute lung injury, CO2 exchange is enhanced by prolonging the volume-weighted mean time for fresh gas to mix with resident alveolar gas, denoted mean distribution time (MDT), and by increasing the flow rate immediately before inspiratory flow interruption, end-inspiratory flow (EIF). The objective was to study these effects in human subjects without lung disease and to analyse the...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of an interval-based high-intensity inspiratory muscle training (H-IMT) programme on inspiratory muscle function, exercise capacity, dyspnoea and health-related quality of life (QoL) in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. A double-blind randomised controlled trial was performed. Sixteen subjects (11 males, mean forced ...

The ability of the noninvasive methods forced oscillation technique (Rosc), spirometry and flow-volume curves to detect and quantify laryngeal obstruction, using assessment of orolaryngeal (upper) airway resistance (Rol) as reference, was compared in 55 patients with various laryngeal diseases. Statistical analysis was performed by means of sensitivity/specificity, simple regression, stepwise r...

AIM The aim of the present study was to compare threshold inspiratory muscle training (IMT) and expiratory muscle training (EMT) in elderly male patients with moderate degree of COPD. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty male patients with moderate degree of COPD were recruited for this study. They were randomly divided into two groups: the IMT group who received inspiratory training with an intensity...

Inspiratory muscles are uniquely adapted for endurance but their function is compromised in COPD due to increased loads, reduced mechanical advantage and increased ventilatory requirements. The hyperinflation of COPD reduces the flow and pressure generating capacity of the diaphragm. This is compensated by a three-fold increase in neural drive, adaptations of the chest wall and diaphragm shape ...