Electrophrenic respiration: report of six cases

The development of electrophrenic respiration has permitted freedom from mechanical ventilation for patients who have irreversible respiratory failure in association with high-cervical spinal cord or brainstem lesions. There are three basic criteria for successful diaphragm pacing: (1) the need for long-term mechanical ventilatory assistance, (2) a functionally intact phrenic nerve-diaphragm axis, and (3) chest wall stability. Inability to achieve satisfactory pacing can be due to malfunction of equipment, instability of the chest wall, or inadequate neuromuscular responsiveness. These features of diaphragm pacing are exemplified in a series of six patients. Three achieved independence from mechanical ventilatory assistance with full-time phrenic pacing. In one patient, only limited electrophrenic respiration was achieved, and in another the method was entirely unsuccessful. Although functioning well, pacing systems were removed from the sixth patient because of infection. Diaphragm pacing can be a valuable form of respiratory support for carefully selected patients.