World-first discovery impacts treatment of acute respiratory failure

Keeping sick patients alive through artificial breathing under life support just became more effective. In a world-first, UHN shows that it is possible to keep the diaphragm continuously active, around-the-clock, in the ICU.
Normally when patients are on a ventilator, the ventilator breathes for the patient, and the patient’s breathing muscles are passive and relaxed. But this inactivity of the breathing muscles can be harmful, and predisposes the lung to collapse and injury, with the diaphragm wasting away rapidly from disuse.
For the first time ever, Drs. Ewan Goligher and Idunn Morris, critical care scientists, have shown it is possible to keep the diaphragm continuously active over prolonged periods by stimulating it to contract in synchrony with the ventilator using a special central venous catheter that has electrodes to stimulate the nerves leading to the diaphragm.
This approach could transform the management of respiratory failure around the world!
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[@John-qv6zk]

Outstanding work! Even for the goddess of apples and youth