Ultrasound assessment of diaphragm thickness in mechanically ventilated patients suffering from obstructive pulmonary disease and its relationship with outcomes of mechanical ventilation and mechanical parameters of lungs

Introduction: Successful weaning from the ventilator depends on several factors including muscular, cardiac, respiratory, and metabolic strength. Acquired weakness of diaphragm muscle caused by mechanical ventilation is one of the reasons for failure to wean patients from ventilators. Meanwhile, it has been shown that the thickening fraction (TF) and ultrasound of the diaphragm are proper non-invasive indicators for making decisions on weaning patients from the ventilator. Methodology: Mechanically ventilated patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease who had been admitted to pulmonary intensive care units during a period of one year were selected for this study. Through statistical consultation, sixty patients were examined for the study. There was no gender difference in the number of patients. After selecting the patients, all of them underwent a B-mode ultrasound with a linear probe of 9 to 12 megahertz on the second day after intubation in the supine position. The thickness of the diaphragm in all patients was measured at the end of exhalation and in the space between the 9th and 10th ribs, between the anterior and middle axillary lines, and the results were compared between the individuals in two ways: successful and unsuccessful weaning.