TY - JOUR T1 - RESPIRATORY MUSCLE STRENGTH DURING AND AFTER HOSPITALIZATION FOR COPD EXACERBATION. JF - Respiratory Care DO - 10.4187/respcare.02393 SP - respcare.02393 AU - Rafael Mesquita AU - Leila Donária AU - Isabel C. H. Genz AU - Fabio Pitta AU - Vanessa S. Probst Y1 - 2013/05/28 UR - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/early/2013/05/28/respcare.02393.abstract N2 - BACKGROUND: A more profound investigation of the respiratory muscle strength during Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) exacerbations needs to be done. We aimed to investigate the strength of the respiratory muscles and its related factors in patients with COPD during and after hospitalization for exacerbation. METHODS: Nineteen patients (12 males, mean age 67 ± 11 years, median forced expiratory volume in the first second [FEV1] 26 [19-32]% predicted) had their lung function, respiratory and quadriceps muscle strength assessed at admission (day 1), discharge and one month after discharge (1mD) for a hospitalization due to disease exacerbation. RESULTS: At admission, 68% of the patients presented inspiratory muscle dysfunction (IMD, Maximal Inspiratory Pressure [PImax]<70% predicted). The inspiratory muscle strength increased from day 1 to 1mD (56 [45564] vs 65 [51574] cmH2O, respectively; P<.05), as well as the expiratory muscle strength from day 1 to both discharge and 1mD (99 [655117] vs 109 [775136] and 114 [905139] cmH2O, respectively; P<.05). The inspiratory capacity (IC) increased from discharge to 1mD (1.59 ± 0.44 vs 1.99 ± 0.54 liters, respectively; P<.05). No significant change was observed in other lung function variables or in quadriceps strength (P>.05 for all). Moreover, at admission the IMD and the reduction in IC (<80% predicted) correlated linearly (rϕ=0.62, P=.03), while the expiratory muscle strength correlated inversely to the FEV1 (Spearman's rho=50.61, P=.005) and the IC (Spearman's rho=50.54, P=.02). CONCLUSIONS: There was a high prevalence of inspiratory muscle dysfunction during hospitalization due to COPD exacerbation. Inspiratory and expiratory muscle strength, however, increased markedly during and after hospitalization. The degree of airflow obstruction and hyperinflation were related to both these variables. ER -