TY - JOUR T1 - Inspiratory muscle training with tapered flow resistive loading versus mechanical threshold loading in difficult to wean patients JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J DO - 10.1183/13993003.congress-2020.3028 VL - 56 IS - suppl 64 SP - 3028 AU - Marine Van Hollebeke AU - Laura Muelas AU - Mariana Hoffman Barbosa AU - Beatrix Clerckx AU - Greet Hermans AU - Daniel Langer AU - Rik Gosselink Y1 - 2020/09/07 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/56/suppl_64/3028.abstract N2 - Introduction: Inspiratory muscle training (IMT) improves respiratory muscle function in difficult to wean patients. The most commonly used training device provides a mechanical threshold loading (MTL). Alternative loading methods for respiratory muscle conditioning have rarely been described so far.Aim: To investigate differences in breathing characteristics, training progression and effects on respiratory muscle function between weaning failure patients performing IMT with MTL versus patients performing IMT with a tapered flow resistive loading (TFRL) device.Methods: Five patients who performed IMT with MTL were individually matched based on sex, age, Pi,max and FVC with patients who performed IMT with TFRL in a case-control design. Loading during IMT was increased on a daily basis to the highest tolerable resistance in both groups.Results: Patients were well matched (Table1). Training characteristics and outcome parameters are depicted in table 2. None of the differences reached statistical significance. Higher inspiratory flow rates and larger inspiratory volumes were achieved against similar resistances during TFRL training (table 2). Improvements in Pi,max were similar while increase in FVC was larger in the TFRL group.Conclusions: A larger, randomized study should be conducted to evaluate whether IMT with TFRL can systematically optimize responses obtained with training.FootnotesCite this article as: European Respiratory Journal 2020; 56: Suppl. 64, 3028.This abstract was presented at the 2020 ERS International Congress, in session “Respiratory viruses in the "pre COVID-19" era”.This is an ERS International Congress abstract. No full-text version is available. Further material to accompany this abstract may be available at www.ers-education.org (ERS member access only). ER -