There are three Respiratory Muscle Strength (RMS) tests to measure the muscles you use to breathe. These muscles are for normal breathing, deep breathing during exercise, and when coughing to clear the lungs. Measuring the strength of these muscles is important for people with conditions that can weaken muscles such as COPD.
The three RMS tests include Maximal Inspiratory Pressure (MIP), Maximal Expiratory Pressure (MEP), and Sniff Nasal Inspiratory Pressure (SNIP). Sometimes a fourth test called Maximum Voluntary Ventilation or MVV is used. MVV measures the strength of inspiratory and expiratory muscles and the ease of moving air through the lungs.
Common indications for RMS tests are: suspected respiratory muscle weekness or unknown neuromuscular disease in a patient with a week cough, lung function tests show reduced vital capacity (VC) or an increased diffusion capacity for an unknown reason, or evaluating if a known respiratory muscle weakness has improved, worsened, or stayed the same. RMS tests allow for a better understanding of patient diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
Lung function testing can have an impact on patients with conditions or diseases that weakens the strength of the muscles. Spirometry for instance, can give a good baseline on these patients and evaluate if their disease is having an impact on their lung function, specifically measuring how fast one is able to force air in or out of the lungs.
Because these tests go and hand in hand, The Vitalograph PneumotracTM with RMS combines Respiratory Muscle Strength measurements with Spirometry. This allows for multiple respiratory diagnostic testing options in one portable device. With the Pneumotrac with RMS, clinicians are able to evaluate diaphragmatic, intercostal, and abdominal strength with MIP, MEP, and SNIP. In addition clinicians can assess volume and flow breath with detailed spirometry (VC, FVL, and MVV).
This vast testing capability gives clinicians the flexibility for testing patients with neuromuscular disease and those undergoing pulmonary rehabilitation. This important diagnostic tool can monitor a patients response to respiratory muscle training or medication adherence.
The new Pneumotrac with RMS and ComPAS2 is an important device combining common and necessary diagnostic tests in one convenient package. Combining this with the power of the ComPAS2 operating software for data sharing, monitoring of historical results, and test feedback of both spirometry and RMS tests allows for the complete picture of a patient’s lung health.
