Effects of proportional assisted ventilation on exercise performance in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patients.

Moderno EV, Yamaguti WP, Schettino GP, Kairalla RA, Martins MA, Carvalho CR

The present study assessed the effect of ventilatory support using proportional assist ventilation (PAV) on exercise capacity in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Ten patients were submitted to a cardiopulmonary exercise testing, plethysmography and three submaximal exercise tests (60% of maximum load): without ventilatory support, with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and PAV. Submaximal tests were performed randomly and exercise capacity, cardiovascular and ventilatory response as well as breathlessness subjective perception were evaluated. Lactate plasmatic levels were obtained before and after submaximal exercise. The results showed that the patients presented a limited exercise capacity. Submaximal test was increased in patients with PAV compared with CPAP and without ventilatory support. An improved arterial oxygenation and lower subjective perception to effort was also observed in patients with IPF when exercise was performed with PAV. IPF patients performing submaximal exercise with PAV also presented a lower heart rate during exercise, although systolic and diastolic pressures were not different among submaximal tests.

The results suggest that PAV can increase exercise tolerance and decrease dyspnoea and cardiac effort in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Respir Med. 2009 Aug 27, online article ahead of print

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