Respiratory muscle aids during an episode of aspiration in a patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

We report the case of a Duchenne muscular dystrophy patient with good bulbar function but severely decreased forced vital capacity (9%) and spontaneous peak cough flow (PCF) (2.35 L/s). The patient needed continuous noninvasive ventilation (NIV) consisting of a volumetric ventilator with a nighttime nasal mask and a daytime mouthpiece. He also required application of manually assisted coughing techniques by insufflation with a resuscitation bag and chest thrust (manually assisted PCF after maximum insufflation capacity of 4.33 L/s). An episode of serious food aspiration was resolved by his main caregiver through NIV and manually assisted coughing. Bronchoscopy under sedation using NIV with a lip seal connection to his volumetric ventilator later revealed that no material remained. This case exemplifies the potential role of skilled respiratory management in some neuromuscular diseases.