Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26517787›Full record

ArticleThe journal of spinal cord medicine2016

Breathing-synchronised electrical stimulation of the abdominal muscles in patients with acute tetraplegia: A prospective proof-of-concept study.

Thomas Liebscher, Thomas Schauer, Ralph Stephan, Erik Prilipp, Andreas Niedeggen, Axel Ekkernkamp, Rainer O Seidl

Open access · greenAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of spinal cord medicine, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact, top 95% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed, 0 citations in OpenAlex.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Thomas Liebschera Centre for Spinal Cord Injuries, Unfallkrankenhaus , Berlin , Germany.
Thomas Schauerb Control Systems Group, Technische Universität , Berlin , Germany.
Ralph Stephanb Control Systems Group, Technische Universität , Berlin , Germany.
Erik Prilippa Centre for Spinal Cord Injuries, Unfallkrankenhaus , Berlin , Germany.
Andreas Niedeggena Centre for Spinal Cord Injuries, Unfallkrankenhaus , Berlin , Germany.
Axel Ekkernkampc Trauma Surgery and Orthopaedics Clinic, Unfallkrankenhaus , Berlin , Germany.
Rainer O Seidld Department of Otolaryngology , Unfallkrankenhaus , Berlin , Germany.
Unfallkrankenhaus Berlin · DETechnische Universität Berlin · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo examine whether, by enhancing breathing depth and expectoration, early use of breathing-synchronised electrical stimulation of the abdominal muscles (abdominal functional electrical stimulation, AFES) is able to reduce pulmonary complications during the acute phase of tetraplegia.

designProspective proof-of-concept study.

settingSpinal cord unit at a level 1 trauma center.

methodFollowing cardiovascular stabilisation, in addition to standard treatments, patients with acute traumatic tetraplegia (ASIA Impairment Scale A or B) underwent breathing-synchronised electrical stimulation of the abdominal muscles to aid expiration and expectoration. The treatment was delivered in 30-minute sessions, twice a day for 90 days. The target was for nine of 15 patients to remain free of pneumonia meeting Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) diagnostic criteria.

resultsEleven patients were recruited to the study between October 2011 and November 2012. Two patients left the study before completion. None of the patients contracted pneumonia during the study period. No complications from electrical stimulation were observed. AFES led to a statistically significant increase in peak inspiratory and expiratory flows and a non-statistically significant increase in tidal volume and inspiratory and expiratory flow. When surveyed, 6 out of 9 patients (67%) reported that the stimulation procedure led to a significant improvement in breathing and coughing.

conclusionAFES appears to be able to improve breathing and expectoration and prevent pneumonia in the acute phase of tetraplegia (up to 90 days post-trauma). This result is being validated in a prospective multicentre comparative study.

Indexed as

RespirationAbdominal MusclesAdultAgedElectric Stimulation TherapyFemaleHumansLung DiseasesMaleMiddle AgedProof of Concept StudyQuadriplegiaAcute traumatic tetraplegiaAirway complicationsFunctional electrical stimulationMotor training of abdominal musclesPneumonia

Identifiers

PMID26517787
PMCPMC5137578
OpenAlexW1884813084

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.