Abdominal Functional Electrical Stimulation to Assist Ventilator Weaning in Acute XXXX : A Cohort Study.

@entity1 @entity1688
BACKGROUND: Severe impairment of the major respiratory muscles resulting from @entity1688 reduces respiratory function, causing many @entity1 with @entity1688 to require mechanical ventilation during the acute stage of injury. Abdominal Functional Electrical Stimulation (AFES) can improve respiratory function in non-ventilated @entity1 with sub-acute and chronic @entity1688 . The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical feasibility of using an AFES training program to improve respiratory function and assist ventilator weaning in acute @entity1688 . METHODS: AFES was applied for between 20 and 40 minutes per day, five times per week on four alternate weeks, with 10 acute ventilator dependent tetraplegic @entity1 . Each @entity1 was matched retrospectively with a ventilator dependent tetraplegic control, based on injury level, age and sex. Tidal Volume (VT) and Vital Capacity (VC) were measured weekly, with weaning progress compared to the controls. RESULTS: Compliance to training sessions was 96.7%. Stimulated VT was significantly greater than unstimulated VT. VT and VC increased throughout the study, with mean VC increasing significantly (VT: 6.2 mL/kg to 7.8 mL/kg VC: 12.6 mL/kg to 18.7 mL/kg). Intervention @entity1 weaned from mechanical ventilation on average 11 (sd:    23) days faster than their matched controls. CONCLUSION: The results of this study indicate that AFES is a clinically feasible technique for acute ventilator dependent tetraplegic @entity1 and that this intervention may improve respiratory function and enable faster weaning from mechanical ventilation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02200393.
