CHEST, cilt.123, sa.1, ss.195-201, 2003 (SCI-Expanded)
Study objectives: Mechanical ventilation (MV) is a life-support measure for patients who cannot maintain adequate alveolar ventilation. Following prolonged MV, difficulty in weaning patients from the ventilator can occur, and it has been postulated that difficult weaning is linked to respiratory muscle dysfunction. We tested the hypothesis that IS h of controlled MV will diminish diaphragmatic maximal tetanic specific tension (force per cross-sectional area of muscle) without impairing diaphragmatic fatigue resistance.