| Abstract [eng] |
Respiratory dysfunction is one of the most common reasons for admission to intensive care units. In spontaneously breathing patients with respiratory failure, increased work of breathing may contribute to patient self-inflicted lung injury (p-SILI) and worsen clinical outcomes. Therefore, early and reliable assessment of spontaneous breathing effort is essential in order to optimize respiratory support and prevent further lung damage. Currently available methods for evaluating work of breathing are often invasive, technically demanding, or of limited applicability in routine clinical practice. The aim of this study was to create an experimental model using healthy volunteers that reflects increased work of breathing observed in critically ill patients and to evaluate the applicability of a non-invasive thoracic cage excursion force measurement belt for assessing spontaneous breathing effort. Healthy volunteers without respiratory or cardiovascular disease were enrolled in the study. An experimental model was created by applying controlled physical exercise using an ergometer to induce increased metabolic demand and respiratory workload. The validity of the model was assessed by monitoring changes in respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen consumption. Work of breathing was evaluated using a force-sensitive respiration belt that measures thoracic cage excursion force and allows calculation of mean inspiratory force, peak inspiratory force, and the inspiratory force-time product. Data from 28 volunteers were analyzed. During increased metabolic load, a statistically significant rise in respiratory rate, heart rate, and oxygen consumption was observed, confirming successful validation of the experimental model. A significant increase in both mean and peak inspiratory force was detected, whereas no significant change in the inspiratory force-time product was found. The results of this study suggest that thoracic cage excursion force measurement using a respiration belt may represent a promising, non-invasive method for assessing spontaneous breathing effort. The developed experimental model effectively reflects increased respiratory workload under metabolic stress and may serve as a basis for further research in critically ill patient populations. |
