Inspiratory muscle training in patients with prior polio who use part-time assisted ventilation

Abstract

Klefbeck B, Lagerstrand L, Mattsson E. Inspiratory muscle training in patients with prior polio who use part-time assisted ventilation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2000;81:1065-71. Objective: To evaluate whether inspiratory muscle training in patients with prior poliomyelitis (and with symptoms and signs of hypoventilation) who use part-time assisted ventilation could improve symptoms and respiratory muscle function without adverse effects. Design: Intervention study with before-after trial. Setting: Training was performed in the patients' homes; assessments were performed at the hospital. Patients: Ten prior-polio patients were included. Three of them did not complete the trial, and their data were not included in results of training. Intervention: Ten weeks of daily inspiratory muscle training. Main Outcome Measures: Spirometry, maximal inspiratory and expiratory pressures, inspiratory muscle endurance, and questions regarding activities of daily living were performed. Results: Inspiratory endurance capacity over 5 minutes improved from 10.7 to 16.7cm H 2O ( p < .05) assessed at 15 on the Borg scale, and most patients improved in activities of daily living. The whole-body endurance capacity remained stable over the studied period. Conclusion: Inspiratory muscle training and close supervision can increase respiratory muscle endurance and improve well-being in patients with prior polio who use part-time assisted ventilation. © 2000 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation