New reference values for maximum respiratory pressures in healthy Brazilian children following guidelines recommendations: A regional study.

Objective: To determine reference values for maximum static respiratory pressures in healthy children from a Brazilian region, following recommendations of the European Respiratory Society (ERS) and the Brazilian Society of Pneumology and Tisiology (SBPT).

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted with healthy children (6 to 11 years) of both sexes. The maximum inspiratory and expiratory pressures (PImax and PEmax, respectively) were measured using a digital manometer.

Influence of inspiratory muscle weakness on inspiratory muscle training responses in chronic heart failure patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: To determine whether the impact of inspiratory muscle weakness on inspiratory muscle training (IMT) affects inspiratory function and exercise capacity in chronic heart failure (CHF) patients.

Data Sources: Electronic searches were performed using the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Systematic Review, Embase, MEDLINE, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) databases up to August 2013.

Study Selection: Articles were included if participants had CHF and were >18 years old; the design was a randomized controlled trial; intervention was IMT; measurements were of inspiratory muscle function or exercise capacity; and the articles were published in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.