Respiratory Muscle testing
Adult

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Useful Management Information

Tests of respiratory muscle strength comprise maximal inspiratory and expiratory muscle pressures (MIPs and MEPs) and maximal sniff nasal inspiratory pressures (SNIPs). These tests assess the aggregate force or pressure the respiratory muscles can generate. MIPs and SNIPs measure inspiratory muscle strength, particularly the diaphragm, while MEPs measure the strength of abdominal and intercostal muscles

Indications:

Assess and quantify the degree of respiratory muscle weakness that may occur with neuromuscular diseases, obstructive lung diseases causing hyperinflation, conditions requiring chronic steroid use, chest deformities and unexplained dyspnoea.
Abnormal diagnostic test results (e.g. decreased forced vital capacity, total lung capacity or abnormal chest radiograph).
Assess the potential for effective cough and ability for secretion clearance (MEP) .
Diagnosis and management of actual or suspected injury to the diaphragm or other respiratory muscles.
Evaluate the effectiveness of therapy designed to improve respiratory muscle strength.

Clinical Advice:

Severe hypertension (systolic >200mmHg, diastolic >120mmHg) may pose a relative danger to the patient. There is a risk of blackout, collapse and/or rupture of cerebral blood vessels.

Minimum Referral Criteria

Does your patient meet the minimum referral criteria?

Category Category 1 ((appointment within 30 calendar days))	Requires tests within 30 days.
Category Category 2 ((appointment within 90 calendar days))	Requires tests within 90 days.
Category Category 3 ((appointment within 365 calendar days))	Requires tests within 365 calendar days.

Standard Referral Information

Reason for request

To establish a diagnosis
For treatment or intervention
For advice and management
For specialist to take over management
Reassurance for GP/second opinion
For a specified test/investigation the GP can't order, or the patient can't afford or access
Reassurance for the patient/family
For other reason (e.g. rapidly accelerating disease progression)
Clinical judgement indicates a referral for specialist review is necessary

Relevant clinical information about the condition

Presenting symptoms (evolution and duration)
Physical findings
Details of previous treatment (including systemic and topical medications prescribed) including the course and outcome of the treatment
All conservative options that have been pursued unsuccessfully prior to referral
Body mass index (BMI)
Details of any associated medical conditions which may affect the condition or its treatment (e.g. diabetes), noting these must be stable and controlled prior to referral
Any special care requirements where relevant (e.g tracheostomy in place, oxygen required)
Current medications and dosages
Drug allergies
Alcohol, tobacco and other drugs use

Patient's Demographic Details

Full name (including aliases)
Date and country of birth
Residential and postal address including whether patient resides at an aged care facility
Telephone contact number/s – home, mobile and alternative
Medicare number (where eligible)
Name of the parent or caregiver (if appropriate)
Name of delegate and contact details (Department of Corrective Services)
Preferred language and interpreter requirements
Identifies as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
Any special needs, access requirements and/or disability relevant to the referral

Referring Practitioner Details

Full name
Full address
Contact details – telephone, fax, email
Provider number
Date of referral
Signature
Nominated general practitioner’s details (if known), if the nominated general practitioner is different from the referring practitioner

Other relevant information

Willingness to have surgery (where surgery is a likely intervention)
Choice to be treated as a public or private patient
Compensable status (e.g. DVA, Work Cover, Motor Vehicle Insurance, etc.)

Essential Referral Information

This must be contained in the referral for it to be accepted.

Reason for referral - what is the clinical question to be answered by performing the test?
Current respiratory medications
Infectious status

If a specific test result is unable to be obtained due to access, financial, religious, cultural or consent reasons a Clinical Override may be requested. This reason must be clearly articulated in the body of the referral.

Additional Referral Information

No additional referral information

Send Referrals To

Related HealthPathways

No directly related pathways found

HealthPathways home page

Service Availability

Facilities

No facilities listed

If you would like to send a named referral, please address it to the specialist listed above, who will allocate a suitably qualified specialist to see the patient. Alternatively, you can view a full list of our specialists.

Respiratory Muscle testingAdult