ArticleJournal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine2025
Predictive Value of Diaphragm Muscle Ultrasound for Ventilator Weaning Outcomes After Cervical Spinal Cord Injury: A Retrospective Case Series.
Article in Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Correlation of diaphragmatic ultrasound with pulmonary function testing in patients with chronic cervical spinal cord injury: A single center pilot study.The journal of spinal cord medicine · 2026Article
- Breathless Strength: Ultrasonographic Insights into Expiratory Muscle Dysfunction in Spinal Cord Injury.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Article
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9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectivesNeuromuscular respiratory failure after cervical spinal cord injury (cSCI) can lead to dependence on an invasive mechanical ventilator. Ventilator-free breathing after cSCI is associated with improved morbidity, mortality, and quality of life. We investigated the use of diaphragm muscle ultrasound to predict ventilator weaning outcomes after cSCI.
methodsThis is a retrospective case series conducted at a university-affiliated freestanding inpatient rehabilitation facility. We identified patients with cSCI who had a tracheostomy and were dependent on an invasive mechanical ventilator at the time of admission to inpatient rehabilitation. A diaphragm muscle ultrasound was performed, which included measurements of the thickness of the diaphragm and a calculation of the thickening ratio (TR), which reflects diaphragm muscle contraction. The primary outcome measure was the need for mechanical ventilation at time of discharge from the inpatient rehabilitation facility. Successful ventilator weaning was defined as either daytime or full 24-hour ventilator-free breathing.
resultsOf the 21 patients enrolled, 11 (52%) were able to wean successfully (partially or fully) from the ventilator. Of the ultrasound measurements that were taken, the TR was the optimal predictor for ventilator weaning outcomes. A threshold of TR ≥ 1.2 as the maximum hemidiaphragm measurement had a sensitivity of 1.0 and specificity of 0.90 for predicting ventilator weaning.
conclusionNormal diaphragm contractility (TR ≥ 1.2) as determined by diaphragm muscle ultrasound is a strong positive predictor for successful ventilator weaning in patients with cSCI. Utilizing diaphragm ultrasound, rehabilitation physicians can set precision rehabilitation goals regarding ventilator weaning for inpatients with respiratory failure after cSCI, potentially improving both outcomes and quality of life.
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