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INTRODUÇÃO: No contexto da colaboração internacional para desenvolvimento de guias práticos (ou guidelines), a Sociedade Real Holandesa de Fisioterapia (Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie, KNGF) se propôs a desenvolver um guia para esclarecimento sobre a prática clínica de Fisioterapia em pacientes com Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica (DPOC), assim como também optou por estimular a sua tradução para outras línguas, a fim de torná-lo acessível para públicos internacionais. OBJETIVOS: O presente guia é a versão em língua portuguesa do Guia para Prática Clínica de Fisioterapia em pacientes com DPOC desenvolvido pela KNGF, que teve como objetivo descrever a Fisioterapia baseada em evidências para pacientes com DPOC que apresentam limitação da função pulmonar, da função muscular respiratória e periférica, da capacidade de exercício, da depuração mucociliar e da qualidade de vida, além de limitações em relação à atividade física na vida diária pela dispneia e/ou intolerância ao exercício. CONCLUSÃO: O guia propõe-se principalmente a prover recomendações terapêuticas práticas que auxiliem o fisioterapeuta a oferecer o melhor tratamento possível para pacientes com DPOC, consideradas as evidências científicas disponíveis na atualidade. INTRODUCTION: In the context of international collaboration for the development of practice guidelines, the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie, KNGF) has developed guidelines for the clinical practice of physical therapy in patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It has also stimulated its translation into other languages to make it accessible to international audiences. OBJECTIVES: The present document brings the Portuguese version of the KNGF Clinical Practice Guidelines for physical therapy in COPD patients. Its purpose was to describe evidence-based physical therapy for COPD patients with impairments in pulmonary function, peripheral and respiratory muscle function, exercise capacity, mucus clearance and quality of life, in addition to limitations in physical activity in daily life due to dyspnea and/or exercise intolerance. CONCLUSION: The guideline provides practical and therapeutic recommendations based on currently available scientific evidence to help the physical therapist provide the best possible treatment to COPD patients.

Purpose: Update of a clinical practice guideline for the physiotherapy management of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease supporting the clinical decision-making process.Methods: A systematic computerized literature search was performed on different modalities for improving physical exercise capacity, reducing exertional dyspnoea, improving airway clearance and encouraging changes in physical activity behaviour. Methodological quality was scored with the PEDro Scale. Scientific conclusions were graded according to the criteria of the `Dutch Evidence Based Guideline Development Platform'. These, together with practical considerations, were used to formulate recommendations for clinical practice.Results: A total of 103 studies were included in the systematic review, consisting of five meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials, 84 randomized controlled trials and 14 uncontrolled studies. Twenty scientific conclusions supported six recommendations on physical exercise training. Nineteen scientific conclusions supported eight recommendations on interventions for reducing dyspnoea. Five scientific conclusions supported seven recommendations concerning treatment modalities to improve mucus clearance, and two scientific conclusions supported two recommendations on strategies for encouraging permanent changes in physical activity behaviour.Conclusions: Strong recommendations support the use of physical exercise training to improve health-related quality of life and functional exercise capacity. Future research should investigate whether additional interventions for reducing exertional dyspnoea have a place as adjuncts to physical exercise training in selected patients. In addition, treatment of impaired mucus clearance, especially during acute exacerbations, requires further research. With the advance of new technologies for objective measurements of physical activities in daily life more research is needed concerning interventions to initiate and maintain physical activity behaviour change during and after supervised physical exercise training programmes

OBJECTIVE: To confirm the hypothesis that the ventilatory response to hypoxia (VRH) may be abolished by hypocapnia. METHODS: We studied four healthy subjects during intermittent positive-pressure ventilation delivered through a nasal mask (nIPPV). Delivered minute ventilation (Ed) was progressively increased to lower end-tidal carbon dioxide pressure (PETCO(2)) below the apneic threshold. Then, at different hypocapnic levels, nitrogen was added to induce falls in oxygen saturation, a hypoxic run (N(2) run). For each N(2) run, the reappearance of a diaphragmatic muscle activity and/or an increase in effective minute ventilation (E) and/or deformations in mask-pressure tracings were considered as a VRH, whereas unchanged tracings signified absence of a VRH. For the N(2) runs eliciting a VRH, the threshold response to hypoxia (TRh) was defined as the transcutaneous oxygen saturation level that corresponds to the beginning of the ventilatory changes. RESULTS: Thirty-seven N(2) runs were performed (7 N(2) runs during wakefulness and 30 N(2) runs during sleep). For severe hypocapnia (PETCO(2) of 27.1 +/- 5.2 mm Hg), no VRH was noted, whereas a VRH was observed for N(2) runs performed at significantly higher PETCO(2) levels (PETCO(2) of 34.0 +/- 2.1 mm Hg, p < 0.001). Deep oxygen desaturation (up to 64%) never elicited a VRH when the PETCO(2) level was < 29.3 mm Hg, which was considered the carbon dioxide inhibition threshold. For the 16 N(2) runs inducing a VRH, no correlations were found between PETCO(2) and TRh and between TRh and both Ed and E. CONCLUSION: During nIPPV, VRH is highly dependent on the carbon dioxide level and can be definitely abolished for severe hypocapnia.

En guise de preambule et afin de cadrer au mieux notre propos, precisons que, si ce texte s’adresse prioritairement aux kinesitherapeutes et tente de situer leur place dans l’approche ethique de la sclerose laterale amyotrophique (SLA), il n’entre nullement dans nos intentions d’accorder au kinesitherapeute et encore moins de lui revendiquer une place specifique ou centrale dans ce contexte. Le kinesitherapeute fait generalement partie des equipes de soins en charge de patients SLA, il y exerce son art selon ses competences specifiques et, a ce titre, participe comme d’autres aux discussions et decisions therapeutiques dans lesquelles des considerations ethiques entrent en ligne de compte. Ces decisions sont prises idealement de facon collegiale, mais toujours en respectant les desirs du malade et sous la responsabilite du medecin auquel il a ete ou s’est confie. Le texte qui suit se refere a quelques travaux et reflexions issus de la litterature scientifique et de notre experience limitee dans la prise en charge des aspects respiratoires de la SLA. Ce texte se fonde egalement largement sur les experiences de « l’espace ethique AP–HP » et tout particulierement des Prs Hirsch et Meininger telles que diffusees sur le reseau Internet [1].

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is currently the treatment of choice for the majority of patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). After a CPAP trial, the initial acceptance rate is 70-80%. Patients who derive no subjective benefit from such a trial are poor candidates for home treatment with CPAP because they are likely to exhibit lower adherence and compliance rates. About 90% of OSA patients provided with CPAP apparatus will adhere to long-term CPAP treatment. Patients abandoning CPAP do so during the first few months of home therapy, a period during which close monitoring and support is warranted. Because of the strong correlation between the machine run time and effective pressure delivered at the nasal mask (90-95%), the time-counter of the CPAP device is sufficient to monitor compliance in clinical practice, allowing for early intervention in cases of suboptimal use. Longterm acceptors of CPAP display a satisfactory compliance (5-6.5 h of average daily use) which compares favourably with compliance with treatment in other chronic diseases. Lower acceptance and compliance rates have been reported in North America as compared to Europe. This could be related to cultural differences or different routines of prescription and follow-up.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the present study was to compare in awake and asleep healthy subjects, under nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (nIPPV) with a two-level intermittent positive pressure device (two-level nIPPV), the efficacy of the controlled and spontaneous modes, and of different ventilator settings in increasing effective minute ventilation (VE). PARTICIPANTS: Eight healthy subjects were studied. SETTING: In the controlled mode, inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP) was kept at 15 cm H2O, expiratory positive airway pressure (EPAP) at 4 cm H2O, and the inspiratory/expiratory (I/E) time ratio at 1. The respirator frequencies were 17 and 25/min. In the spontaneous mode experiment, IPAP was started at 10 cm H2O and progressively increased to 15 and 20 cm H2O; EPAP was kept at 4 cm H2O. MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: We measured breath by breath the effective tidal volume (VT with respiratory inductive plethysmography), actual respiratory frequency (f), and effective VE. Using the controlled mode, effective VE was significantly higher on nIPPV than during spontaneous unassisted breathing, except in stage 2 nonrapid eye movement sleep at 17/min of frequency; increases in f from 17 to 25/min led to a significant decrease in VT reaching the lungs, during wakefulness and sleep; effective VE was higher at 25 than at 17/min of frequency only during sleep; periodic breathing was scarce and apneas were never observed. Using the spontaneous mode, with respect to awake spontaneous unassisted breathing, two-level nIPPV at 10 and 15 cm H2O of IPAP did not result in any significant increase in effective VE either in wakefulness or in sleep; only IPAP levels of 20 cm H2O resulted in a significant increase in effective VE; during sleep, effective VE was significantly lower than during wakefulness; respiratory rhythm instability (ie, periodic breathing and central apneas) were exceedingly common, and in some subjects extremely frequent, leading to surprisingly large falls in arterial oxygen saturation. CONCLUSIONS: It appears that two-level nIPPV should be used in the controlled mode rather than in the spontaneous mode, since it seems easier to increase effective VE with a lower IPAP at a high frequency than at a high pressure using the spontaneous mode. We suggest that the initial respirator settings in the controlled mode should be an f around 20/min, an I/E ratio of 1, 15 cm H2O of IPAP, and EPAP as low as possible.

In mechanically ventilated patients, pressure and flow tracings can be used to assess respiratory pump muscle activity or rest. When the ventilation is delivered through an endotracheal tube, the respiratory system can be considered a one-compartment model, and activation of the respiratory muscles results in deformations and variability of the pressure tracings. This is also true when mechanical ventilation is delivered nasally. With intermittent positive-pressure ventilation delivered through a nasal mask (nIPPV), we have recently shown that the glottis can interfere with ventilation even in the absence of diaphragmatic surface electromyographic (EMG) activity. On the basis of our observations, we suggested that when mechanical ventilation is delivered through a nasal means of access, the respiratory system cannot be considered a one-compartment model. To confirm this hypothesis, we submitted one healthy subject to nIPPV while his glottis was continuously monitored through a fiberoptic bronchoscope and his diaphragmatic activity was monitored with a bipolar esophageal electrode. During wakefulness or sleep, we observed irregularities in the nasal mask pressure waveform, in nasal mask peak pressure, and in actual VT despite the absence of respiratory pump muscle activity. These irregularities were related to significant variations in the glottic width, rather than to the reappearance of transient phasic inspiratory muscle activity. We conclude that during nIPPV, deformations in the mask pressure waveform can be induced by variations in the glottic aperture without activation of the diaphragm. Thus, when mechanical ventilation does not bypass the glottis, the respiratory system does not behave like a one-compartment model, and EMG remains the only reliable technique for assessing diaphragmatic muscle activity.

Sleep fragmentation (an increase in the number of short EEG arousals) is considered a major determinant of excessive daytime sleepiness but is seldom quantified in sleep studies, and reference values are scarce at best. We present data on the movement arousal index (MAI) in five groups of subjects: normals, simple snorers, patients with the sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (SAHS), and patients with sleep-related oxygen desaturations due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or neuromusculoskeletal disorders. In normal subjects, the MAI was 13 +/- 7 (mean +/- SD). MAI was distinctly increased in most patients with SAHS and was strongly correlated with the apnea-hypopnea index and loss of both slow wave and REM sleep. It was corrected to normal by nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). There was some overlap of MAI between SAHS patients and snorers, suggesting that a minority of nonapneic snorers may suffer from daytime sleepiness due to upper airway dysfunction. Sleep fragmentation is not a feature of sleep-related hypoventilation due to COPD or neuromusculoskeletal disorders, and an increase of the number of movement arousals (MA) is very suggestive of upper airway dysfunction and of potential success of CPAP. Quantification of sleep fragmentation is feasible and clinically useful; it should be included in the assessment of sleep-related breathing disorders.

We have previously observed that, in normal awake subjects passively hyperventilated with intermittent positive-pressure ventilation delivered through nasal access (nIPPV), the glottis could interfere with the ventilation. We report on data obtained in the same subjects during stable sleep. In all cases, the glottis was continuously observed through a fiber-optic bronchoscope, and other indexes were also continuously recorded. Mechanical ventilation was progressively increased up to 30 l/min. We have observed during passive nIPPV in stable sleep that increases in delivered minute ventilation (VEd) resulted in progressive narrowing of the glottic aperture, with increases in inspiratory resistance and progressive reductions in the percentage of the delivered tidal volume effectively reaching the lungs. For a given level of VEd, comparisons showed that the glottis was significantly narrower during sleep than during wakefulness and that the glottis was significantly narrower during stage 2 than during stages 3/4 non-rapid-eye-movement sleep. Moreover, when CO2 is added to the inspired air, glottic aperture increased in five of nine trials without changes in sleep stage. We also observed a significant negative correlation between glottic width and the VED, independent of the CO2 level. We conclude that during nIPPV glottis narrowing results in a decrease in the proportion of the delivered tidal volume reaching the lungs.

Alveolar proteinosis is an uncommon lung disease presenting in primary or secondary forms, characterised by surfactant derived proteinous material accumulation within the lungs. The most effective treatment remains whole lung lavage under general anaesthesia. We have recently performed whole lung lavage in a 46-year-old patient with alveolar proteinosis who presented with severe dyspnoea and hypoxia. During the left lung lavage, outwards flow was enhanced at random either by manual clapping or by mechanical chest percussion with a vest airway clearance system. The protein and surfactant protein A concentrations in the 13 successive samples of the left lavage solution showed an exponential decline, not different between manual clapping and chest mechanical percussion. The average concentration of surfactant protein was not different between manual clapping and chest percussion. We conclude that in alveolar proteinosis, manual clapping replacement by mechanical chest percussion during whole lung lavage merits further evaluation.

Study objectives: Hypercapnic ventilatory failure due to restrictive disorders may have a negative impact on sleep architecture. Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) may improve arterial blood gases but may adversely affect sleep. We assessed sleep structure and blood gases before and during NIV in patients with restrictive disorders in hypercapnic ventilatory failure. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: Sleep laboratory of Saint-Luc University Hospital (Belgium). Patients: Chart review of all patients with predominantly restrictive disorders and respiratory failure seen between 1987 and 2008 and evaluated with a baseline polysomnography (PSG) and a PSG under NIV. Measurements and results: Sixty patients aged (mean±SD) 48±20years, with total lung capacity of 57±20% of predicted value, PaO 2 of 62±16mm Hg and PaCO 2 54±10mm Hg, were included. At baseline, total sleep time, sleep efficiency, slow wave and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep were markedly decreased. Conversely, micro-arousals and stage I sleep (N1) were increased. NIV administered with volume-cycled (53%) or pressure-cycled (47%) ventilators improved daytime PaO 2 , PaCO 2 , pH and HCO 3 - . In addition, sleep efficiency, REM sleep, mean and lowest nocturnal SpO 2 increased while stage 1, sleep fragmentation, and oxygen desaturation index decreased significantly. Conclusion: Hypercapnic ventilatory failure in restrictive disorders profoundly affects sleep quality. NIV can improve not only blood gases, but also sleep architecture. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Contemporary homes can include a number of electrical devices aimed at making life easier, such as washing machines, dishwashers and vacuum cleaners. One can also find devices aimed at improving lifestyle, such as exercise bicycles or rowing machines. However, one can also find other types of devices that are aimed at supporting or saving people's life. These can include continuous positive airway pressure machines, home dialysis machines, oxygen concentrators and home respirators. All these devices have electrical plugs, knobs, switches, light bulbs, LEDs and screens. However, the manipulation of these devices is not at all similar, and the interactions between the devices and the users have quite different meanings. Despite the obvious differences between these machines, it remains true that a malfunctioning washing machine or a malfunctioning respirator will require a similar reaction: call the user support number. Respiratory physicians do not have a long tradition of home life support treatment and every piece of information concerning this issue is worth learning. In the present issue of the European Respiratory Journal , Chatwin et al. 1 present data on the call centre they established to support more than 1,000 patients on home respirators. The Respiratory Unit of the Royal Brompton Hospital (London, UK) serves a vast geographical area. In order to allow patients to reach them, they established a communication protocol based on telephone numbers patients can call day and night in case they need to or they feel they need to. These calls can be made for a number of reasons; from simple concerns such as asking for spare part replacement, to more disturbing ones such alarms coming on during the night or to a respirator becoming noisy all of a sudden, to very serious ones such as a respirator breakdown in a respirator dependent patient. Chatwin et al. …

Effective compliance (time spent at the effective pressure) with nasal CPAP in obstructive sleep apnea has been reported to be poor. The aim of our study was to evaluate effective compliance in a large European multicenter study. One hundred twenty-one consecutive newly treated patients (initial apnea-hypopnea index [AHI] = 62.0 +/- 29. 5/h, AHI under CPAP = 6.4 +/- 8.1/h, CPAP pressure = 8.7 +/- 2.6 cm H(2)O, BMI = 33.1 +/- 6.8 kg/m(2)) were randomly allocated to a group with (MC(+)) (n = 58) or without (MC(-)) (n = 63) a control unit measuring effective compliance at 1, 2, and 3 mo, which was compared with the built-in time counter data. MC(+) data were 94 +/- 10, 98 +/- 5, and 96 +/- 9% of counter data at 1, 2, and 3 mo, respectively. Using criteria of regular use already reported in the literature (at least 4 h of nCPAP per day of use and nCPAP administered more than 70% of the days) we found 77, 82, and 79% compliant patients at 1, 2, and 3 mo, respectively, 79% of the patients meeting these criteria each month. Although there were no pulmonary functions or polysomnographic differences between the two subgroups, the compliant patients did report a greater improvement in minor symptoms. We found a close correlation between effective use of CPAP and the machine run time. The main result of our study was a higher effective compliance than previously reported, approximately 80% of the patients being regular users versus 46% in a previously published study. This may result from different technical and medical follow-up.

Our goal was to verify glottic behavior and its effects on effective minute ventilation during intermittent positive pressure ventilation applied at increasing inspiratory pressure levels through a nasal mask (nIPPV) using a two-level positive pressure ventilator (two-level IPPV) in spontaneous mode. Ten subjects were studied while awake. The spontaneous mode was used at three levels of inspiratory positive airway pressure (IPAP): 10, 15, and 20 cm H2O. The expiratory pressure was kept at 4 cm H2O. Records of spontaneous breathing without nIPPV were also performed. The glottis was continuously monitored through a fiberoptic bronchoscope. We measured, breath by breath, the widest inspiratory angle formed by the vocal cords at the anterior commissure, the corresponding tidal volume (with respiratory inductive plethysmography), the respiratory frequency and other indices. Our data during wakefulness show that inspiratory pressures of 10 and 15 cm H2O did not result in increases in effective minute ventilation with respect to spontaneous breathing. Only at 20 cm H2O of IPAP did effective minute ventilation increase. This was due essentially to a decrease in respiratory frequency with increasing pressures, offsetting increases in tidal volume at 10 and 15, but not at 20 cm H2O of inspiratory pressure. Changes in end-tidal CO2 suggest that alveolar ventilation increased due to the change in breathing pattern. Contrary to what we observed previously with either two-level IPPV used in the controlled mode, or nIPPV performed with volumetric ventilators, the glottis did not play any noticeable role in the control of effective minute ventilation.

Episodes of apnoea for up to 1 min were observed in association with hypocapnia caused by passive nasal intermittent positive-pressure mechanical hyperventilation in 3 of 4 patients during sleep. Apnoea seemed to be caused by complete upper airways obstruction; we suggest that this finding was caused by active glottic closure. Avoidance of excessive hypocapnia during positive-pressure ventilation might help to avoid central-nervous-system mediated apnoeic episodes.