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Updated: Mar 22, 2026

Inspiratory Muscle Training as an Adjunct to the Treatment of Weaning Failure in Critically Ill Patients: A Practical Guide
Published on: January 30, 2026
Strategies to optimize respiratory muscle function in ICU patients
Willem-Jan M Schellekens1,2, Hieronymus W H van Hees3, Jonne Doorduin2
1Department of Anesthesiology, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands.
Abstract:
Respiratory muscle dysfunction may develop rapidly in critically ill ventilated patients and is associated with increased morbidity, length of intensive care unit stay, costs, and mortality. This review briefly discusses the pathophysiology of respiratory muscle dysfunction in intensive care unit patients and then focuses on strategies that prevent the development of muscle weakness or, if weakness has developed, how respiratory muscle function may be improved. We propose a simple strategy for how these can be implemented in clinical care.
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