Maximal Inspiratory Pressure in Respiratory Failure

Abstract

In patients evaluated for weaning from mechanical ventilation, maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) is commonly used as an index of respiratory muscle strength, with — 20 or — 30 cm H2O considered the minimum acceptable value and reproducible replicates considered to indicate reliability. We assessed MIP in 14 stable, actively assisting patients on mechanical ventilators, using triplicate MIP measurements as described by Marini et al (J Crit Care 1986; 1:32), with the best effort reported as MIP. The patients were studied for 1-7 days by 2-5 experienced investigators.