Glenview, Illinois – The American College of Chest Physicians ® (CHEST) recently released a new clinical guideline on respiratory management of patients with neuromuscular weakness . Published in the journal CHEST ® , the guideline contains 15 evidence-based recommendations, a good practice statement and an ungraded consensus-based statement.
Endorsed by the American Association for Respiratory Care, the American Thoracic Society, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Canadian Thoracic Society, the guideline recommendations include mouthpiece ventilation, transition to home mechanical ventilation, salivary secretion management and airway clearance therapies.
“Respiratory muscle weakness is a serious concern in patients with neuromuscular diseases. It can lead to inadequate ventilation, nighttime hypoventilation and the inability to mobilize secretions, which is frequently the cause of death in this population,” says Akram Khan, MD, FCCP, Associate Professor, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, and the lead author on the guideline. “We anticipate this guideline will standardize and improve the care provided to patients with neuromuscular diseases and subsequent weakness.”
The guideline includes the following highlighted recommendations:
Each recommendation is classified as strong, referred to as “recommended,” or conditional, referred to as “suggested.” The panel offers graded recommendations when there is sufficient evidence and ungraded consensus-based statements in areas that were thought to warrant guidance, despite an insufficient grade of evidence.
The entire list of recommendations and population, intervention, comparator and outcome questions included in the guideline can be accessed through the CHEST journal website .
About the American College of Chest Physicians
The American College of Chest Physicians ® (CHEST) is the global leader in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of chest diseases. Its mission is to champion advanced clinical practice, education, communication and research in chest medicine. It serves as an essential connection to clinical knowledge and resources for its 19,000+ members from around the world who provide patient care in pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine. For information about the American College of Chest Physicians, and its flagship journal CHEST ® , visit chestnet.org .
the journal CHEST
13-Mar-2023