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Do you utilize phrenic nerve EMG in patients with diaphragmatic issues?

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Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Neurology · University of Minnesota

Diaphragm muscle needle EMG is definitely a useful tool to assess patients with suspected respiratory muscle weakness/paralysis. It can differentiate neurogenic from myopathic disorders and it can help with prognostication. However, many providers, including myself, are not very comfortable with "bl...

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Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Neurology · Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

We do phrenic nerve conduction studies on all prospective lung transplant patients so we are very comfortable with this although there are times this can be difficult. The transplant team needs to know about each hemi-diaphragm which spirometry won't tell you. Ultrasound is probably the best approac...

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