ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2021
COVID-19 is associated with distinct myopathic features in the diaphragm of critically ill patients.
Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05191433 (Effects of Mechanical Ventilation on the Diaphragm in COVID-19 Intensive Care Patients. A Post-mortem Pathology Study.), which is not on this map. Cited by 8 papers.
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.
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.
Effects of Mechanical Ventilation on the Diaphragm in COVID-19 Intensive Care Patients. A Post-mortem Pathology Study.
Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- High PEEP Activates ITGB1, Inducing Diaphragm Fibrosis During Prolonged Mechanical Ventilation.Biomolecules · 2025Article
- Histopathological analysis of respiratory muscles in patients with acute COVID-19 infection.Cell and tissue research · 2025Article
- Diaphragm thickness and ICU admission risk in elderly COVID-19 patients: a CT-based analysis.BMC pulmonary medicine · 2025Article
- Metabolic acidosis and sudden infant death syndrome: overlooked data provides insight into SIDS pathogenesis.World journal of pediatrics : WJP · 2025Review
- Uncovering Diaphragm Cramp in SIDS and Other Sudden Unexpected Deaths.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Exploring diaphragmatic response to high-flow nasal cannula in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia using ultrasound: a proof of concept study.Journal of ultrasound · 2024Article
- Myopathy as a cause of fatigue in long-term post-COVID-19 symptoms: Evidence of skeletal muscle histopathology.European journal of neurology · 2022Article
- Neurologic complications of coronavirus and other respiratory viral infections.Handbook of clinical neurology · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
13 authors at 3 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
Abstract
introductionThe diaphragm is the main muscle of inspiration, and its dysfunction contributes to adverse clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. We recently reported the infiltration of SARS-CoV-2, and the development of fibrosis, in the diaphragm of critically ill patients with COVID-19. In the current study, we aimed to characterise myofiber structure in the diaphragm of critically ill patients with COVID-19.
methodsDiaphragm muscle specimens were collected during autopsy from patients who died of COVID-19 in three academic medical centres in the Netherlands in April and May 2020 (n=27). We studied diaphragm myofiber gene expression and structure and compared the findings obtained to those of deceased critically ill patients without COVID-19 (n=10).
resultsMyofibers of critically ill patients with COVID-19 showed on average larger cross-sectional area (slow-twitch myofibers: 2441±229 vs 1571±309 µm
conclusionDiaphragm of critically ill patients with COVID-19 has distinct myopathic features compared with critically ill patients without COVID-19, which may contribute to the ongoing dyspnoea and fatigue in the patients surviving COVID-19 infection.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.